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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29991240">What If</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsilzhaBLZ/pseuds/IsilzhaBLZ'>IsilzhaBLZ</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Dark, F/M, Fix-It, Gen, One Piece Universe, Post-Rumbling (Shingeki no Kyojin), Shingeki no Kyojin Chapter 137: Titans, Shingeki no Kyojin Chapter 137: Titans Spoilers, Shingeki no Kyojin Chapter 138: A Long Dream, Shingeki no Kyojin Chapter 138: A Long Dream Spoilers, Shingeki no Kyojin Chapter 139: Toward the Tree on That Hill, Shingeki no Kyojin Chapter 139: Toward the Tree on That Hill Spoilers, The Rumbling (Shingeki no Kyojin), Time Travel, Titan Eren Yeager, Titan Shifters, Titan War, What-If</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:35:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>85,432</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29991240</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsilzhaBLZ/pseuds/IsilzhaBLZ</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of oneshots exploring different directions the story of Attack on Titan could have gone, including but not limited to alternate character decisions and/or what could have happened if Eren had used the full power of the Founding Titan earlier in the story. NOW INCLUDES A LESS DUMB ENDING TO THE MANGA</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Armin Arlert/Annie Leonhart, Eren Yeager &amp; Zeke Yeager, Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss &amp; Ymir, Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir, Levi Ackerman &amp; Erwin Smith, Mikasa Ackerman &amp; Armin Arlert &amp; Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman/Eren Yeager, Reiner Braun &amp; Bertolt Hoover &amp; Annie Leonhart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>176</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Eren's Wish</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eren Kruger glanced at the ocean behind them one last time, savoring the salty air and the gorgeous sight of the distant horizon where the sky and water met. He knew he was about to die, but it was necessary if he wanted his life to have had meaning.</p><p>He looked back at Grisha, and readied the injection. From the future memories he'd seen he knew that Grisha would eventually succeed in his mission, but it would be up to his son to use the Founding Titan to save the Eldian people. Whether he would be able to do it was something that Kruger would never know. All he could do was hope.</p><p>He injected the serum into Grisha's neck, the younger man letting out a small gasp of pain as he did so.</p><p>As he waited for the serum to take effect, Eren briefly pondered on what he would have done if he had been able to utilize the Founding Titan's power. He definitely wouldn't have made good on the 145th king's threat of destroying everything outside of the island, as that would be rather excessive.</p><p>But if he was honest with himself, if he'd had that kind of power he would have used it to awaken the Titans within Wall Maria, and used them to destroy Marley. The imperialistic nation had become too large and corrupt for its own good, and their atrocities against the Eldians and the other people of the world needed to be avenged. And while it was true that many Eldians would also die if Marley was destroyed, most of them had been brainwashed by decades worth of propaganda, and would be unwilling to liberate themselves even if given the chance. Better to start over fresh with the Eldians on the island.</p><p>As a bright light engulfed Grisha's body, Eren brushed these thoughts aside. There was no sense in dwelling on things that could never be. It's not like his thoughts on the matter would have any effect on what the future might hold.</p><p>Grisha's Titan turned around and looked down on Eren, its mouth opened wide.</p><hr/><p>EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER</p><p>Eren stood up and looked down at Mikasa, still feeling slightly shaken by her confession.</p><p>"Mikasa." He said softly. "I will always wrap your scarf around you. Always and forever."</p><p>He clenched his fist and faced the looming form of his mother's killer.</p><p>"That's a promise!"</p><p>As the Titan reached for him, Eren felt himself filling with rage at the invaders who had destroyed his home. He thought primarily of Reiner and Bertolt, but also of Annie, the normal Titans, and of course the monster before him that had devoured his mother.</p><p>He pulled his fist back, his mind consumed with a single goal.</p><p>
  <em>I WILL DRIVE ALL OF YOU OUT! EVERY LAST ONE!</em>
</p><p>He swung his fist forward and punched the smiling Titan's palm.</p><p>Across the battlefield, Reiner, Bertolt, and Ymir instantly felt a surge of energy coursing through them.</p><p>As the Titans began to converge on the smiling Titan, Reiner's eyes widened in horror.</p><p>
  <em>Oh no. Eren's the coordinate.</em>
</p><hr/><p>The sun had set several hours ago, and the Armored Titan continued to run south, its movements slow and tired, with two exhausted shifters on each of its shoulders.</p><p>With a Titan horde after them, they'd had no choice but to let Eren and the Scouts escape, as simply staying alive had become a very difficult task. But thanks to Ymir's unexpected appearance and assistance they'd managed to break away from the horde, and now that night had fallen the pure Titans slowly but surely began to slow down and get left behind.</p><p>Now they were just trying to reach Wall Maria so that they would have someplace safe to rest for the night where the pure Titans couldn't get them. Ymir had left her Titan in order to preserve her energy, and at the moment she and Bertolt were doing their best to stay awake until the danger had truly passed.</p><p>The light of the moon helped illuminate the land around them somewhat, but it was still rather dark, and the clouds would periodically cover the moon and obscure its rays.</p><p>After several hours of silence, the quiet was eventually broken by Ymir.</p><p>"Jeez, how far away is Wall Maria? I thought for sure we should be able to see it by now."</p><p>At Ymir's words, Bertolt began to get a sinking feeling in his stomach. From what they had seen, Eren didn't really understand the power of the coordinate, nor did he yet have the means to control it. So as long as all he had done was send a horde of pure Titans after them, they might still be able to complete their mission.</p><p>But if he had inadvertently done something more…</p><p>No. He was being paranoid. It was fine. It had to be.</p><p>As time passed, all three shifters began to feel more and more anxious as they continued to fail to spot the outline of Wall Maria in the distance. Initially they thought they must have simply underestimated how far away it was.</p><p>But eventually, the harsh truth made itself known.</p><p>As the moon gleamed in the night sky, the Armored Titan came to an abrupt halt, and the color drained from Bertolt and Ymir's faces.</p><p>"No." Bertolt whispered.</p><p>Now that they were close, they were able to see the outline and piles of rubble and debris where Wall Maria had once been. And beyond this former boundary there was a series of massive footprints stretching into the distance, and a faint cloud of steam could be seen stretching all across the horizon.</p><p>"Holy shit." Ymir exclaimed.</p><p>"Fuck." Bertolt felt his hands beginning to tremble. "Eren didn't just send that horde of Titans after us, he accidentally unleashed the rumbling."</p><p>Ymir glanced behind them. "Hopefully it's just wall Maria that was set loose."</p><p>Bertolt shook his head hopelessly. "What do we do?"</p><p>Ymir casually kicked the Armored Titan's face. "Reiner, come out of your Titan, I'll get us there. If we rotate our Titans and hurry we should be able to warn your comrades about the rumbling."</p><p>Bertolt looked at her in surprise. "Ymir…"</p><p>A burst of steam emanated from the Armored Titan's nape, and Reiner pulled himself out of the fleshy cavity, though he didn't detach himself completely yet.</p><p>He frowned at Ymir. "Why? It's not too late for you to turn around and go back."</p><p>Ymir lowered her eyes. "It's thanks to you guys and your friend that my nightmare finally came to an end. I can't just leave you out to dry now."</p><p>She smiled sadly. "Life's really given you the short end of the stick. I know that Krista's safety is all but guaranteed now. All that's left is for me to repay the debt I owe you."</p><p>Reiner and Bertolt found themselves unable to put their gratitude into words, but from the look she gave them they knew that she understood.</p><p>Ymir transformed once more, and after securing Reiner and Bertolt on her head she began to run as fast as she could south, heading directly toward the mass of Wall Titans.</p><hr/><p>The Marleyan ship was still stationed at the dock near the southern tip of Paradis. It was early in the morning, and Magath, Zeke, and Pieck were standing on the wall, waiting to see if the other Warriors would arrive. It had been five years since Marcel's group had been sent to the island, and they were eager for news about how the mission was going. They would have almost certainly noticed the recon mission Zeke and the others had done within Wall Rose, and so Magath hoped that at least some of them would leave the walls and give them an update.</p><p>As the sun slowly rose in the sky, Zeke noticed something strange about the island's interior.</p><p>He frowned. "What is that in the distance? Is that...smoke? Is it a forest fire?"</p><p>Pieck's eyes widened, and she placed her hand against the smooth surface of the wall. "The ground is shaking."</p><p>Magath and Zeke froze.</p><p>"No…" Zeke murmured, his face pale. "No, it can't be…"</p><p>"Look!"</p><p>Zeke and Pieck turned to look at what Magath was pointing at, and saw the Armored Titan running across the sandy dunes directly toward them.</p><p>A short time later the Armored Titan arrived near the side of the wall, and Magath, Zeke, and Pieck ran over to greet them.</p><p>Bertolt looked tired from a lack of sleep, while Ymir and Reiner both appeared utterly exhausted, their bodies pushed to the limit due to the strain they'd been placed under.</p><p>Magath looked at the three of them in mild confusion. "What's going on?"</p><p>Bertolt shook his head tiredly. "Long story short, Annie's been captured," he pointed at Ymir. "she ate Marcel but has agreed to help us, and the Founding Titan is a guy called Eren Yeager. We were trying to capture him when he awoke the Founding Titan's full power and used it to send a Titan horde after us, and he also woke up the Titans inside Wall Maria, though we're pretty sure that was an accident."</p><p>His expression became urgent. "And now the Maria Titans are coming to kill us all, so we really need to go now!"</p><p>Magath briefly glanced back at the island's interior, and could just barely make out the sight of the massive line of colossal Titans heading toward them. He had many questions, but he knew they would have to wait.</p><p>Magath nodded. "Understood, let's go."</p><p>Pieck helped carry Reiner to the ship, while Zeke was supporting Bertolt, leaving Magath the one to help Ymir onto the ship.</p><p>He felt uneasy as he glanced at the exhausted young woman beside him. From what Bertolt had said Ymir would have been one of the Eldian traitors brought to the island, which instantly made her suspicious. And she had killed one of their warriors and taken his power for herself. But on the other hand Bertolt claimed that she had helped them, and Magath had to concede that she was likely the reason that Reiner and Bertolt had been able to make it to them ahead of the rumbling. The Colossal Titan was not known for its mobility, and it would have been impossible for the Armored Titan to make such a long journey on its own. Her offering them assistance was the only reason they had made it. And if the rumbling was truly on its way, there wouldn't be time to transfer the Jaw Titan to one of their own warriors, and so they would likely need her help again when it came to stopping or at least slowing the rumbling.</p><p>As his thoughts turned toward the rumbling, Magath felt many conflicting emotions. The main ones were fear and dread. While conventional weaponry was slowly catching up to the power of the Titans, and would soon surpass it, they still had no means of easily fighting an army of colossal Titans. If the 145th king's threat was carried out in full, there would be nothing they could do.</p><p>The only way they might stand a chance would be if it was a less focused and organized attack, and given what Bertolt had suggested about the current holder of the Founding Titan that could be the case. If it truly was just the Titans from Wall Maria, and if they were both dumb and slow, they might, just might, be able to stop them.</p><p>But even in a best case scenario, most if not all of Marley would probably be destroyed by the time all of the Titans were killed. One way or another, Marley's days as a world superpower were about to end.</p><p>And as he thought this, Magath took some grim vindication at having been proven right at just how foolish and reckless Marley's plans regarding the island had been.</p><p>As the ship pulled out of dock and began to make its way back to Marley as quickly as it could, the Titans were still a far distance off, but the ground had begun to rumble and quake with their footsteps.</p><p>After Reiner and Ymir had been escorted below to get some rest, Zeke pulled Bertolt aside.</p><p>"So, you said his name was Eren Yeager…"</p><hr/><p>TWO MONTHS LATER</p><p>As the Scouts crossed the foot of the mountain, Erwin felt a thrill going through him.</p><p>At long last, they were about to reach the basement.</p><p>He knew it wouldn't be that easy. Overthrowing the government and replacing it with a less obstructive regime had been difficult, and the battle that was waiting for them in Shiganshina was likely going to be even more difficult. But if they could secure this victory for humanity, they would be able to reach the basement, and finally learn the truth about this world.</p><p>Erwin's thoughts were interrupted as the horses around him were brought to a sudden halt. At first he was puzzled as to what they were doing, as they needed to make haste to reach Wall Maria as quickly as possible.</p><p>As he looked south, however, he quickly spotted the problem. Wall Maria was gone.</p><p>Levi looked utterly baffled. "What the hell?"</p><p>"Wall Maria should be here." Hange muttered in bewilderment. "And yet...it's not. What's going on?"</p><p>The Scouts began to whisper and murmur amongst themselves, wondering what had happened.</p><p>Eren scanned the horizon back and forth, as if looking hard enough would make the wall appear again.</p><p>"How could the wall just disappear? It's not like it could get up and walk away."</p><p>Armin's eyes widened, and he gasped in shock.</p><p>"Except it could."</p><p>Eren and Mikasa turned toward him in confusion.</p><p>Armin looked at the ground, his mind racing. "We know that the walls are made up of Titans, and that Eren's power can control Titans."</p><p>Armin looked at his best friend carefully. "Eren, you said that when you activated this power, you were filled with the determination to drive out your enemies, right?"</p><p>Eren nodded slowly. "Yeah."</p><p>"We assumed that it was just the normal Titans that were affected by your power, but maybe that wasn't true. Maybe it also woke up the Titans within Wall Maria and sent them after whatever enemies lie beyond Wall Maria."</p><p>Mikasa's eyes widened, and she looked back toward the south. As she looked carefully, she could see the ruins of Shiganshina, many of the buildings still standing but suffering from years of neglect due to the absence of human life. The district looked almost naked without the expected walls surrounding it.</p><p>Eren glanced off to the side, a troubled expression on his face.</p><p>"But if that's the case...then that must mean that Reiner's hometown was completely wiped out. I wonder...based on what we know about Reiner and the others, and from what we learned about my dad from instructor Shadis, there have to be at least a few other humans out there beyond the walls. And while the attack on Wall Maria makes it pretty clear that some or maybe even most of these humans are our enemies, not all of them are bad, my dad is proof of that. And in that case...if I really set all the Titans in Wall Maria loose upon the world…"</p><p>Mikasa placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't think too hard about it. They attacked us first, and it's your father's fault for giving you this power without explaining anything."</p><p>She shook her head. "I know he had good intentions, but I don't understand why he kept you in the dark despite placing such a large burden on you."</p><p>She looked at Eren seriously. "Regardless, don't let yourself get twisted up with guilt about something you couldn't control."</p><p>Eren reluctantly nodded. "Right."</p><p>A few minutes later Armin's theory was relayed to the rest of the Scouts.</p><p>Erwin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Given what we know, Armin's theory seems quite likely, which is both good and bad news. It's good because it means that there's probably not an ambush waiting for us in Shiganshina like we thought, because our enemies will have their hands full with an army of Colossal Titans, assuming they're even still alive at this point. But it's bad because it means the operation to retake Wall Maria is now impossible, since Wall Maria doesn't exist anymore."</p><p>He fiddled with the reigns. "Still, it means that we should be able to reach that basement uncontested."</p><p>He raised his voice. "All soldiers, prepare to advance!"</p><p>The Scouts descended into Shiganshina, closing the distance between themselves and the truth about the world they lived in.</p><hr/><p>Author's Note: So as you probably gathered from the summary, this is going to be a series of short stories exploring different ways the story of Attack on Titan could have gone. Some, such as this one, will be left open ended and could theoretically be turned into longer stories later, while others will be self contained and closed. Either way, each chapter will be a different story, so if you don't like one you don't have to worry about it continuing into the next chapter. I have a bunch of ideas and hypothetical scenarios I'd like to play around with, but I don't have the time or the inclination to turn all of them into full stories, so this will give me a way to get them out there in some form. Of course, if any one of these shorter stories get a bunch of requests to be turned into a longer story, I might consider doing so, though I won't make any promises. And if you have any suggestions for alternative ways the canon narrative could have gone, feel free to let me know and if I like it I might turn it into a short story here, though the ideas I came up with will probably come first.</p><p>As for this story, it's an idea I've had for a while. At the end of the second season when Eren utilized the power of the Founding Titan, he didn't really know what he was doing, so it doesn't seem too far fetched that it could have had some unintended consequences. In this scenario Marley is definitely screwed. They're not as screwed as they were in canon, because Eren's full scale rumbling incorporated Titans from all three walls, and it was ruthlessly efficient and systematic in its efforts to purge the world of human life. Here, though, it's only the Titans from Wall Maria, and they've only been given a somewhat vague instruction to destroy Marley, and so will be rather slow and unintelligent about it, which will give Marley some time to fight back. Of course their size and sheer numbers will still cause a lot of problems, but killing all the Titans is at least somewhat feasible, as opposed to in canon where their overwhelming numbers and focused movements steamrolled over any attempts at stopping them. But by the time they kill all the Titans Marley will be almost completely destroyed, demolishing their status as a superpower and discouraging the rest of the world from attacking or messing with Paradis lest they suffer the same fate.</p><p>I thought it was an interesting idea, let me know what you thought.</p><p>Edit: Well, as you almost certainly already know, Attack on Titan has ended. And personally I found the ending to be incredibly unsatisfying. In fact I found it so unsatisfying that I had to write my own ending as a way of coping. So if you were also unsatisfied with the canon ending of Attack on Titan I would recommend you skip to chapter 12, where you can find my version of the ending.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Final Solution</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun was setting, its dying rays casting a slightly gloomy light upon the shore of Paradis island. The Marleyan ship remained by the dock, and most of the soldiers had turned in for the evening.</p><p>A few, however, were still up, and two of them were standing on top of the wall that overlooked the island's interior.</p><p>Pieck rolled her neck. "It feels weird, being out of my Titan form."</p><p>Zeke chuckled. "Well, the recon mission's over, so there's really no need for you to stay in your Titan. Besides, you look much more attractive this way."</p><p>She glanced at him with mock indignation. "Oh? And what's that supposed to mean?"</p><p>"That should be fairly obvious."</p><p>The two warriors turned around to see their commanding officer approaching.</p><p>Magath frowned. "Your Titan is useful but it's ugly as sin. Not that any Titan is aesthetically pleasing."</p><p>"Sir." Zeke and Pieck saluted.</p><p>"At ease." Magath said dismissively.</p><p>Zeke's face became serious. "You're quite right of course. The Titans are ugly in every sense of the word. This world would be a much better place if they did not exist."</p><p>His gaze returned to the interior of the island, a sigh escaping his lips.</p><p>"Of course, the Titans are inextricably linked with the Eldian race. As long as Eldians exist, Titans will exist."</p><p>Pieck raised an eyebrow. "What are you suggesting? Don't tell me you want to kill off your own race."</p><p>Zeke shook his head. "Of course not. But it is a real problem that will need to be dealt with."</p><p>Magath and Pieck looked at Zeke uneasily, unsure of what exactly he was talking about.</p><p>The sound of footsteps got their attention, and they turned around to see one of the Marleyan soldiers jogging toward them.</p><p>Magath felt his back stiffen as soon as he took in his subordinates demeanor. The normally calm man's face was pale and apprehensive.</p><p>"Koslow. What's wrong?"</p><p>"Uh...um…" Koslow stuttered.</p><p>He swallowed nervously as he regarded the two warriors and their commander.</p><p>"We...we have a bit of a problem."</p><hr/><p>Eren stood up and looked down at Mikasa, still feeling slightly shaken by her confession.</p><p>"Mikasa." He said softly. "I will always wrap your scarf around you. Always and forever."</p><p>He clenched his fist and faced the looming form of his mother's killer.</p><p>"That's a promise!"</p><p>As the smiling monster reached for him, Eren felt himself filling with a familiar rage, his utter hatred of the Titans, and was reminded of his goal to eradicate them from the earth. He might not live for much longer, but during the little time he had left he would do what he could to further this goal.</p><p>He pulled his fist back, his mind consumed with a single thought.</p><p>
  <em>ALL OF YOU SHOULD JUST DIE! EVERY LAST ONE!</em>
</p><p>He swung his fist forward and punched the smiling Titan's palm.</p><hr/><p>In the paths realm, the hidden place beyond space and time that connected all Eldians together, the founder Ymir froze at the command that had just been given to her.</p><p>
  <em>ALL OF YOU SHOULD JUST DIE! EVERY LAST ONE!</em>
</p><p>Upon hearing these words, Ymir broke down and began to sob in relief, her tears falling onto the sandy ground beneath her feet. After more than two thousand years of following orders, of living this prolonged, nightmarish existence somewhere between life and death, she had finally been given an out, and she was not going to waste it.</p><p>After wiping away her tears, she promptly did exactly as she was told.</p><hr/><p>As soon as Eren's fist connected with the smiling Titan's palm, the Titan froze before slowly collapsing onto its back with a heavy thud, its body already beginning to emit steam as it disintegrated.</p><p>Eren's eyes widened in shock. "What? Did...did it just die?"</p><p>A series of thuds and booms could be heard all over the battlefield, and as Eren and Mikasa looked around, they could see all of the Titans collapsing.</p><p>"The Titans…" Mikasa murmured in bewilderment. "All of them...they're all dying."</p><p>"But why?" Eren frowned.</p><p>He looked down at his hands, recalling the surge of energy he had briefly felt as he touched the smiling Titan.</p><p>
  <em>Was it me? How did I do that?</em>
</p><p>He shook his head. "Let's go find the others."</p><p>After carefully picking up Mikasa and carrying her on his back, they began to make their way toward where the rest of the Scouts were. Their task was made slightly difficult by the large amount of steam from the dead Titans obstructing the visibility of the field.</p><p>Mikasa looked around with a tiny but growing sense of dread.</p><p>
  <em>Strange...it's quiet...too quiet…</em>
</p><p>As they got near a cluster of trees, they spotted Jean and Armin next to a Titan's carcass, and both were collapsed on the ground.</p><p>Eren raised his voice. "Hey, are you guys okay?"</p><p>Neither responded.</p><p>Concerned about his friends, Eren gently set Mikasa down so he could check on them.</p><p>As he approached Jean, Eren felt his concern growing.</p><p>"Oh no, it looks like Jean's hurt."</p><p>As he looked at Jean more closely, his concern turned to horror.</p><p>"No...no, he's dead." Eren said in disbelief.</p><p>"What?" Mikasa exclaimed.</p><p>Eren stared at Jean for a few more seconds before turning to Armin and examining him. His face paled as he realized his best friend was also dead.</p><p>"Armin?" Eren cried. "No...no! Why?! What happened?! He doesn't look hurt! Did the Titans do this?!"</p><p>Tears began to pour down his face and Mikasa's as they looked down at their friend's body.</p><p>They didn't have time to focus on their grief, though, as they noticed two people approaching them.</p><p>As soon as he recognized Reiner and Bertolt, Eren felt himself filled with rage once more, and he hastily grabbed one of Armin's fallen swords.</p><p>"You bastards! Get the hell away from us!"</p><p>He tried cutting the back of his hand, but once again failed to transform.</p><p>
  <em>God damn it, why is this still not working?!</em>
</p><p>"Eren, what did you do?"</p><p>Reiner's voice was unusually quiet, but Eren was too angry to notice or care. He pointed the sword at the blond warrior, warning him to stay back.</p><p>"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Eren snarled. "You've got a hell of a lot of nerve approaching us without your Titan!"</p><p>Reiner grimaced. "My Titan...it collapsed at the same time as all the other Titans."</p><p>Eren blinked. "It did?"</p><p>Eren recalled the surge of energy he'd felt when he touched the smiling Titan, and how the Titans had collapsed immediately afterwards. He didn't really understand what this power was, but he decided it would be a good time to bluff.</p><p>He boasted. "Well, I'm the one who made all the Titans collapse, so you better stay back!"</p><p>Reiner's face paled. "So...so that means you're the coordinate?"</p><p>"The what?"</p><p>"The reason we came to the walls was to retrieve the coordinate, also known as the Founding Titan." Bertolt explained quietly. "It has the power to control all other Titans."</p><p>Mikasa looked at him in shock. "Huh?"</p><p>Eren looked intrigued. "Really?"</p><p>Reiner looked at him anxiously. "Eren, when you activated this power, what did you do?"</p><p>He had no reason to listen to Reiner, but something about his tone made Eren feel compelled to answer.</p><p>Eren looked at the ground. "Well...I didn't really know I had this power. I just...I hit the Titan that was about to eat us, wishing that all of the Titans would just die...and then they did."</p><p>Reiner and Bertolt looked at each other, their faces pale and drawn.</p><p>Eren looked at them eagerly. "So...you're saying I have the power to control all Titans? And if I wished for them all to die, then that means they all died?"</p><p>Reiner slowly nodded. "Yeah."</p><p>Eren grinned. "Yes! That's...that's fantastic!"</p><p>"No it's not!" Reiner shouted. "It's terrible!"</p><p>"How could you say that?" Eren yelled, his temper returning. "Don't you know that Titans eat people? Do you think humanity being killed off by the Titans is a good thing or something you sick bastard?!"</p><p>Reiner shook his head. "You don't understand. The Titans...they used to be human...and by killing all the Titans, you also killed…"</p><p>The little color in Eren's face drained away, and as the steam from the dead Titans dissipated Eren suddenly got a clear view of the field, and could see all of the Scouts scattered throughout the field collapsed on the ground. Some of them were bloody, and had clearly been killed or maimed by the Titans, but others appeared to be fine except for the fact that they weren't moving.</p><p>Mikasa's eyes widened in horror, the eerie silence suddenly making sense.</p><p>"No...no...that's impossible." Eren said faintly.</p><p>He violently shook his head. "No, I don't believe you! You're lying! If I killed every human along with every Titan, then why are you still alive, huh?! Why is Mikasa still alive?!"</p><p>Reiner shrugged helplessly. "Mikasa is at least partly Asian. She's a member of a different race, so your power wouldn't affect her. As for us...I guess it must be because we had the power of the Titans."</p><p>He looked down at his hands. "Although, our Titan powers don't seem to be working anymore."</p><p>Eren looked down at his own hands, and noticed that not only was he still not able to transform, but his wounds were no longer healing.</p><p>"What's going on?" Eren murmured numbly. "Did...did I really...do all of this? But...but that means…"</p><p>A horrible thought occurred to him.</p><p>He looked up at Reiner desperately. "But...I mean...I just killed the Titans and people in this area, right? It...it didn't...surely it didn't...affect anything beyond that, right?"</p><p>Reiner looked away, unable to maintain eye contact with Eren as he contemplated the hopeful question and what the likely answer was.</p><p>"I...we don't know a lot about the Founding Titan's power. But...from what we were told, its power transcends space and time. So, if you really wished for all the Titans to die, then it probably killed all the Titans in the world. And...by extension…"</p><p>Eren fell to his knees, despair beginning to envelope him like a blanket.</p><p>"No." Mikasa narrowed her eyes at Reiner. "You're lying. You're just saying this to trick us."</p><p>"I wish I was."</p><p>Reiner turned around. "Eren, I don't think either of us are really in shape to fight anymore. Take one of the horses and head back for the walls. If I'm wrong, I guess we'll fight again someday. But if I'm right...either way, we'll be waiting for you in Shiganshina."</p><p>Reiner began to walk away, much to the others' confusion.</p><p>Bertolt quickly caught up with him and grabbed his arm.</p><p>"Reiner, what are you doing? Why are you letting him go? What if Eren's right? What if he only affected this area, and the rest of the Eldians and Titans in the world were left untouched?"</p><p>"Do you honestly believe that?"</p><p>Bertolt fell silent, recalling the massive surge of energy he had felt when Eren's power had awakened.</p><p>Reiner let out a long sigh. "If I'm wrong, then we can deal with that later. But...I don't think capturing the Founding Titan matters anymore."</p><p>Eren stared down at his best friend's body, numb with guilt and horror.</p><p>"No. Armin...did I really kill you? I didn't mean to...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry…"</p><p>Mikasa gently rested her hand on his shoulder. "No. It's wrong. They're wrong. It's all just…"</p><p>She trailed off, unsure of what to say.</p><p>Eren stood up, hastily wiping away his tears. "Let's...let's go. We...we should head back for the walls. We...we can give...A-Armin...a decent burial there."</p><p>Mikasa nodded. "Yeah. And once we're there we'll be able to see that there are still people there."</p><p>She tried to give him a reassuring smile. "Maybe Reiner is partly right, but there's no way your power could have done anything as drastic as killing everyone in the walls."</p><p>A short time later Eren had taken a set of ODM gear from one of the deceased Scouts and acquired their horse, securing himself, Mikasa, and Armin's body on the horse's back.</p><p>As they began to head north toward Wall Rose they passed by Ymir, who had tears streaming down her cheeks as she cradled Historia's dead body. She didn't even look up as they went by, too lost in grief to notice or care.</p><p>Eren shut his eyes, trying and failing to block out the mounting feelings of dread and horror rising within him.</p><p>
  <em>What have I done?</em>
</p><hr/><p>While Eren and Mikasa headed north toward Wall Rose, Reiner, Bertolt, and Ymir headed south toward Wall Maria. Reiner and Bertolt were on one horse, while Ymir was on another horse, Historia's body behind her.</p><p>After several hours of riding hard, the three former Scouts arrived at the outskirts of Shiganshina. The journey had passed in silence, and when they arrived the silence still did not end.</p><p>After breaking into some of the abandoned houses they eventually found some old rusty shovels, which they then used to dig a grave for Historia.</p><p>Once they had gently laid the angelic blonde to rest in the shallow grave, they then buried her and did their best to mark the gravesite.</p><p>Their work finished, Ymir broke down crying again, while Reiner and Bertolt remained silent, their expressions grim and solemn.</p><p>After letting her emotions out, Ymir slowly stood up, and voiced what they were all thinking.</p><p>"Do...do you think we're among the last Eldians in the world?"</p><p>Reiner bowed his head. "We won't know for sure until we make contact with the outside world, but…"</p><p>Bertolt smiled feebly. "If those who had the power of the Titans were spared, then warchief Zeke and Pieck should be okay."</p><p>Ymir glanced at him, her eyes still bloodshot. "Warchief Zeke? Is he the monkey?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>Ymir fell silent, her eyes fixed on the grave of her first love.</p><p>Reiner shook his head helplessly. "We should find some shelter. Get some rest. It's going to be a long journey tomorrow."</p><p>One by one they dispersed for the night to try to get some sleep, but all three of them knew that they wouldn't be getting any real rest that night.</p><hr/><p>When Eren and Mikasa reached the wall, Eren discovered that he had veered a little too far to the north, as the elevators that Mikasa had told him about were nowhere in sight. Without the elevator, they would need to use the ODM gear to get onto the wall.</p><p>After leaving their horse near a tree close to the wall, and gently setting Armin's body a short distance away from the tree, Eren carried Mikasa and used his ODM gear to scale up Wall Rose.</p><p>Now that they were safely on the wall, Eren gently set Mikasa down and used a first aid kit to treat her wounds as best as he could.</p><p>Mikasa winced in pain as he wrapped the bandages around her.</p><p>"Sorry." Eren mumbled.</p><p>"It's okay." Mikasa whispered.</p><p>After looking over her dressings and being satisfied with his work, Eren looked back at Mikasa, his expression becoming uncertain and lost.</p><p>"Do...do you really think…"</p><p>The unspoken question hung in the air.</p><p>Mikasa shook her head slowly. "Let's just get some rest. We'll find out tomorrow."</p><p>They settled down for the night and fell asleep holding hands, trying to take what comfort they could from each other's presence.</p><hr/><p>The next morning Eren's eyes shot open. For a moment he didn't know why he felt so terrible, then the memories came flooding back and he remembered.</p><p>He slowly sat up and turned to the person next to him.</p><p>"Mikasa. Are you okay?"</p><p>Mikasa slowly sat up as well, gingerly holding her side. "Yeah. It doesn't hurt as much."</p><p>Eren let out a sigh of relief before his expression became serious once again.</p><p>"We'd better get going."</p><p>They began to walk along the wall, Eren supporting Mikasa, and slowly made their way south.</p><p>On the right side of the wall the lost territory of Maria stretched off into the distance. As they looked, they didn't see a single Titan anywhere, the land seemingly freed from the occupation of the mindless monsters. But on the left side of the wall, where the rest of humanity had fled after the fall of wall Maria, there was no sign of human life or activity. The handful of buildings they saw appeared to be empty and abandoned. Granted this part of Wall Rose wasn't very populated, but the eerie silence and emptiness only furthered their sinking suspicion that Reiner had been telling the truth.</p><p>But they hadn't given up hope yet. They would keep moving forward, and Mikasa was sure they'd soon find plenty of other people alive and well.</p><p>After walking for about an hour, they came across the elevators that had been used to facilitate the Scouts rescue mission, and Eren and Mikasa came to a halt, their faces paling rapidly.</p><p>Around the elevator several Scouts lay collapsed on the surface of the wall, their bodies stiff and unmoving. Among them Eren recognized members of the Hange squad, including Hange herself, and the feelings of numb horror he'd tried to suppress came back in full force.</p><p>"No…"</p><p>Eren stared at the bodies of his comrades, his eyes wide and unfocused. "They're...they're dead. They're all dead. Reiner wasn't lying. I…"</p><p>Though shaken by what they were seeing, Mikasa tried to put on a strong front for his sake.</p><p>"We don't know that for sure." She said firmly.</p><p>"What the hell else can this mean?" Eren whispered despairingly. "He said that the power transcends time and space. These guys were nowhere near where we were when I used the coordinates power, and yet…"</p><p>Mikasa squeezed his hand. "It doesn't necessarily mean that they're all gone. Let's keep going. I'm sure we'll find other people who are still alive before long. Don't give up hope."</p><p>Not really believing her, but clinging to this small hope anyway, Eren slowly nodded.</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>They walked past the elevators and continued to follow the wall. The walk was silent, the feelings of dread and despair much stronger now despite Mikasa's attempts at optimism.</p><p>After another hour of walking, they finally saw a sign of life.</p><p>Mikasa pointed ahead of them with a smile. "See! What did I tell you?"</p><p>Eren looked up, and saw a horse riding toward them with a rider on it.</p><p>Eren felt his spirits rising slightly. "You're right. Looks like people are still alive. Guess Reiner was exaggerating a bit."</p><p>They began to walk faster, and before long the horse had reached them, along with a familiar face.</p><p>Eren gasped as he recognized the rider. "Captain Levi!"</p><p>Levi jumped off the horse and landed in front of them. "What the hell is going on?"</p><p>Levi looked shaken and pale, and Eren felt an icy dread creeping into his heart once again.</p><p>He swallowed nervously. "What do you mean sir? Did something happen?"</p><p>Levi gestured behind him. "Well, last night when I went to bed, I knew the Scouts were mounting a mission to rescue you from the Armored and Colossal Titans. But when I woke up this morning, everyone in the city was dead."</p><p>Eren and Mikasa froze, the little color left in their faces draining away.</p><p>"Everyone?" Eren repeated numbly.</p><p>"Everyone. Everywhere I looked, everywhere I checked, not one person was stirring or moving. I even tried shouting, hoping to get the attention of someone, anyone, but nobody came."</p><p>Eren collapsed to his knees, his eyes glued to the surface of the wall as he became numb with horror and guilt, his mind barely able to process the full scope of what he had done.</p><p>Levi looked at him in concern. "Eren?"</p><p>"Captain."</p><p>Mikasa pulled Levi aside so that they were a short distance away from Eren.</p><p>Levi lowered his voice. "So...so what happened?"</p><p>Mikasa bowed her head grimly. "Reiner and the others...it turns out the reason they came to the walls was to capture the power of the Founding Titan, a Titan that can apparently control all other Titans. During the battle to rescue Eren, things had gotten rather chaotic, and Eren and I were...about to be eaten by a Titan. But then, it turns out that Eren was the one who had the Founding Titan, and he awakened its power and tried to use it to save us by killing all of the Titans. And it worked. All the Titans are gone."</p><p>Levi's eyes widened. "Really?"</p><p>Mikasa nodded. "Yes. But...Reiner told us...apparently, the Titans were once human...and by killing all the Titans...Eren also…"</p><p>Levi's face paled even further, and he looked at Eren with new understanding, pity and sadness welling up inside him as he observed the despondent teen.</p><p>After talking for a little more Mikasa and Levi returned to Eren's side, though Eren didn't seem to react.</p><p>Mikasa knelt down next to him. "Eren. Listen to me, this is not your fault. You didn't know."</p><p>Eren said nothing, and gave no sign he had even heard her.</p><p>"Eren?" Mikasa whispered anxiously</p><p>Levi looked over the territory of Wall Rose, his mind slowly processing what had happened.</p><p>He briefly considered looking for other survivors, but deep down he knew that they wouldn't find any, and seeing more bodies would only add to Eren's pain and trauma, and theirs.</p><p>Levi frowned. As to why they were the only ones left, he figured in Eren's case it was because he had the power of a Titan, in Mikasa's case it was because she was Asian, and in his case...well, he wasn't sure. He did vaguely remember his mother once saying something about how their family was special, though he didn't know what she had meant.</p><p>There was also the possibility that Kenny was a blood relative of his, which would explain why a man like him would take in a starving orphan. If that was the case, and there was something different about their family, then Kenny could also be alive out there somewhere. But the odds of finding him were low, and a serial killer was the last thing they needed right now.</p><p>Levi looked back at Eren and Mikasa, and could see that Mikasa's attempts at comforting Eren were having little to no effect. It wasn't hard to understand why, as no words would easily assuage the guilt Eren must have been feeling after accidentally wiping out most of humanity. Under the circumstances, Levi knew that what Eren needed was some kind of distraction, something else to focus on.</p><p>He stepped toward the two young scouts. "Well, if the Titans are truly all gone, then we shouldn't have any trouble reaching that basement now. There's not much point staying here now, and hopefully your old man left behind some answers that might explain what the hell is going on."</p><p>He began walking back to his horse. "Let's go."</p><p>"Wait." Eren raised his hand in the air. "Can...c-can we bury Armin first?"</p><p>"Yes, of course." Mikasa answered at once.</p><p>After securing his horse, Levi and the two young Scouts retraced their steps back to the elevators. Mikasa sat on the horse at Levi's insistence due to her injuries, while Levi and Eren walked beside it.</p><p>When they reached the elevators Levi's face tightened as he saw the bodies of his dead comrades, but for Eren's sake said nothing.</p><p>After using the elevator to lower Levi's horse down to the ground, they made their way back to where they had left Armin's body. Since Mikasa was injured, Eren and Levi dug the grave.</p><p>Levi grimaced as he thought of all the people who wouldn't get the chance to have a proper burial, whose corpses would lie unattended in their homes and on the streets, slowly rotting away and picked apart by scavengers, until only a skeleton was left. And given enough time even these would break down and disappear, leaving behind no trace that they had ever existed.</p><p>But there was nothing they could do about that. They didn't have the time or the manpower to bury everyone, and even attempting such a massive feat would only further reinforce the horror of what had happened. Levi didn't think Eren and Mikasa would be able to handle that additional trauma. He knew he wouldn't be able to.</p><p>Burying Armin, though, that was something he could do, as he knew it would be important for Eren and Mikasa to find some kind of closure. And right now they were all he had left, so it was up to him to look after them. The dead were beyond help, but these two were still alive, and as long as he had someone to fight for he could keep going even in the face of this catastrophe.</p><p>After the grave was dug, Eren gently laid Armin down to rest. Levi then buried him, while Eren and Mikasa broke down sobbing, mourning their friend and trying to comfort each other.</p><p>After marking the grave as best as he could, Levi insisted that they get going and head for Shiganshina. He knew that having a goal, an objective, would help take their minds off what had happened at least a little, and he had to admit he was curious to learn about what Grisha Yeager had left behind for them.</p><p>They rode hard toward Shiganshina, Levi on one horse, Eren and Mikasa on the other. The journey passed mainly in silence, and as they continued the sun slowly made its way across the sky.</p><p>It was evening when they finally arrived in Shiganshina, the sun still high in the sky but slowly making its way toward the horizon. The three Scouts dismounted from their horses and made their way to the Yeager family's old house.</p><p>As they walked through the empty streets, Eren and Mikasa felt old memories of a simpler, happier time stirring within them. Memories that now felt bittersweet, knowing that the three had become two, and there was no going back from that.</p><p>They reached what was left of their old house, and after Eren and Levi moved aside several medium sized boulders, they saw the staircase leading down to the basement. The three of them descended down, the answers they sought close at hand.</p><hr/><p>At around the same time that Eren, Mikasa, and Levi reached the basement, Reiner, Bertolt, and Ymir reached the coast, where Magath, Zeke, and Pieck were waiting for them.</p><p>Zeke looked at the three riders carefully. "Reiner? Bertolt? Is that you?"</p><p>"Zeke!" Bertolt cried in relief.</p><p>Magath glanced at Zeke. "Looks like your theory was right."</p><p>As the three former scouts dismounted, Magath looked at them seriously.</p><p>"Braun, Hoover, what the hell is going on?"</p><p>Reiner looked at Magath anxiously. "Has anything happened in the outside world?"</p><p>Magath folded his arms, a grim expression on his face. "As a matter of fact it has. Last night we were informed that every Eldian living in the internment zones had mysteriously died. Later reports came in and it appears that every single Eldian in the entire world has died, the sole exception being Lara Tybur, a member of the Tybur family who was apparently the possessor of the Warhammer Titan."</p><p>Reiner shut his eyes, anguish washing over his features. "Shit."</p><p>He had been expecting this, but it was still a blow, and the horrifying reality was now truly sinking in.</p><p>Zeke looked at them, his expression calculating. "It was the Founding Titan, wasn't it?"</p><p>Reiner nodded grimly. "Yeah. The person with the Founding Titan is Eren Yeager."</p><p>Magath shook his head in bewilderment. "Why the hell would he kill all the Eldians?"</p><p>Bertolt let out a bitter laugh. "It was an accident."</p><p>"An accident?" Pieck sputtered incredulously. "How the fuck do you accidentally kill off millions of people?!"</p><p>Reiner bowed his head. "It seems that the 145th king erased the memories of the people of the walls, making them forget about the outside world and leaving them to believe that they were the last of humanity in a world overrun by Titans."</p><p>Reiner winced, a look of shame appearing on his face. "When...when we breached Wall Maria, Eren's mother was eaten by a Titan right in front of him, and ever since that day he swore he would get revenge and kill all the Titans. And when we were trying to capture him, the Founder's power activated somehow, and he wished for all of the Titans to die. He got his wish, all the Titans died. But…"</p><p>Zeke's eyes widened. "But he also inadvertently killed all the Eldians as well, with those of us possessing one of the Nine Titans being the sole survivors. And even those Titans seem to have been destroyed."</p><p>He held up his hand and waved it loosely. "Pieck's Titan powers and mine have stopped working."</p><p>Reiner nodded. "It's been the same for us."</p><p>"Who is this?" Magath asked, looking at Ymir suspiciously.</p><p>"This is Ymir." Reiner replied. "She ate Marcel, but she's been helping us."</p><p>"Hmm."</p><p>Pieck gripped the sides of her head. "This...this is a nightmare."</p><p>Zeke glanced back and forth between Reiner and Bertolt. "You said his name was Eren Yeager? Could you tell me more about him?"</p><hr/><p>Levi slowly closed the final page of the last book. He, Eren, and Mikasa were silent, their heads still reeling from what they had learned.</p><p>Everything they thought they knew had been turned on its head, and the true nature of the world was far different and more complicated than they could have ever predicted.</p><p>The good news was that humanity was not actually on the verge of extinction, far from it. But for the rest of it…</p><p>Eren slowly wandered away, looking utterly lost. Mikasa soon followed after him.</p><p>Levi shook his head. He wasn't sure what on earth to say, and he really wished Erwin were still alive. He would know what to do, and he would be able to at least pretend to be as unshaken and determined as ever.</p><p>But Erwin was gone, as were the rest of the Eldian people, and so he knew it would be up to him to figure out what they should do next.</p><p>After a moment of staring absently at the three books on the desk, Levi carefully gathered them up and exited the basement.</p><p>He found Eren and Mikasa standing a short distance away. Eren still looked lost and troubled, while Mikasa was watching him with concern.</p><p>"Hey." Levi raised his voice to get their attention. "We'll figure out what we're going to do tomorrow. For now we should make camp. Eren, go gather some firewood."</p><p>Years of ingrained military training kicked in, and Eren immediately did as he was told, silently walking away.</p><p>The fire was built and dinner was prepared in silence. Eren and Levi did most of the work, with the latter insisting that Mikasa should rest until her injuries were healed.</p><p>Throughout the entire evening Levi and Mikasa spoke only a handful of times, while Eren didn't say anything at all.</p><p>Eventually the three of them turned in for the night, with Eren silently volunteering to take the first watch.</p><p>Levi felt slightly uneasy, but figured that Eren wanted to do something useful, and that after what they had discovered in the basement, sleep would be difficult anyways.</p><p>Levi and Mikasa slowly drifted off, while Eren remained awake, continuing to look troubled and lost.</p><p>A few hours later, Levi suddenly found himself wide awake. He wasn't sure why, but he had the sense that something was terribly wrong.</p><p>He turned and saw Eren standing next to where they had stashed their ODM gear for the night, his shoulders shaking and his hands trembling.</p><p>
  <em>What is he doing?</em>
</p><p>But as Eren raised his hands, Levi saw that he had picked up one of the blades, and was aiming it at his own neck.</p><p>Levi's eyes widened. "Shit!"</p><p>Levi dove, and just barely managed to stop Eren before he could inflict a fatal wound upon himself. Even so, he was too slow to stop Eren from hurting himself completely, as the young man had managed to put a shallower cut into his neck before Levi violently forced Eren's hands away from his neck.</p><p>"MIKASA, HELP!"</p><p>Mikasa shot up the moment she heard Levi's yell, and immediately turned to see what was going on.</p><p>Her eyes widened and the color drained from her face as she saw Levi restraining Eren from behind, the bloody blade still in the young man's hand.</p><p>"Eren!"</p><p>Levi forced him to drop the blade. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"</p><p>Eren looked at the ground in shame. "I...I…"</p><p>All at once he burst into tears.</p><p>"Everyone was counting on me! I had the greatest power in the entire world! I could have done almost anything with it, anything! But what was my first thought? Kill. That's all that I could think of, kill, and now everyone's dead because of me. Armin, Erwin, Jean, Connie, Sasha, Krista, Hange, everyone."</p><p>He shuddered and closed his eyes, tears still trailing down his face. "I accused Reiner and Bertolt of being monsters, but I'm the biggest one of all. I killed everyone in the walls and god knows how many people outside the walls, all because of one moment of rage. I'm despicable. I shouldn't exist. It would have been better if I had died."</p><p>"That's not true!"</p><p>Mikasa stepped forward and cupped Eren's face in her hands, tears trailing down her own face as well.</p><p>"That's not true. You're not a monster Eren. You were just trying to protect me. You had no way of knowing what that power would do, you had no way of knowing what the Titans really were."</p><p>She gave him a watery smile. "You didn't want to kill the Titans just for the sake of killing, you wanted to do it to protect the people you love."</p><p>She reached back and fiddled with her scarf. "I meant what I said back then, and I still believe every word."</p><p>Eren's eyes snapped to the scarf, recalling her confession for the first time since learning about the Founding Titan.</p><p>She gently stroked his cheek. "If you were given the chance to go back and do it all over again, knowing what you know now, would you have done the same thing?"</p><p>Eren blinked back a few tears before slowly shaking his head.</p><p>"No…"</p><p>Mikasa nodded. "And that makes all the difference. Reiner and Bertolt knew what they were doing when they broke down the wall. You didn't. Don't compare yourself to them. You're better than they could ever hope to be. Believe me when I say, you are the kindest, most brave person I've ever met."</p><p>She looked at him sadly, tears still pouring down her cheeks. "I've already lost everyone else in my life. Please, Eren, don't leave me too."</p><p>At this Eren broke down crying again, and Levi finally let him go. Mikasa wrapped her arms around him, and Eren returned the embrace, both of them still sobbing but doing their best to comfort each other.</p><p>Levi casually picked up the discarded blade and wiped it off with one of his handkerchiefs. "Right. Well, I'm going to hide these somewhere so you won't be tempted to do something stupid again."</p><p>He then walked away, giving the two of them some privacy.</p><p>As Levi hid the ODM gear somewhere else, he felt a palpable sense of relief, as well as the urge to smack himself in the head for not thinking. He really should have seen that coming. He'd known people who had taken their own lives because they had been unable to handle the guilt after accidentally killing just one person. The guilt that Eren must have been feeling would have been several orders of magnitude worse. Of course he would try to kill himself.</p><p>But thanks to his quick reflexes and Mikasa's words, the crisis had, for now at least, been resolved. But he'd have to keep a closer eye on them from now on.</p><p>He didn't want to lose anyone else.</p><hr/><p>Breakfast the next morning was rather tense and awkward, the bandage wrapped around Eren's neck serving as a constant reminder of the previous night's events. Eren remained silent throughout the meal, his face containing a mixture of guilt and shame.</p><p>After they had finished eating, Mikasa asked a fairly obvious but important question.</p><p>"So what do we do now?"</p><p>Levi finished his cup of tea before answering. "Well, you said that Reiner and the others would be waiting for us in Shiganshina, right? Obviously they left for the coast before we arrived, but they'll probably be back. I think our best course of action...is to wait for them to come back, and try to talk to them."</p><p>Mikasa frowned. "You want to talk to the people who tried to kill us?"</p><p>Levi let out a long frustrated sigh. "Well, I don't see the three of us restarting civilization in the walls on our own, and I don't much fancy the idea of hiding and shitting in the woods for the rest of my life. Given what's happened, we might be able to come to some sort of arrangement with them."</p><p>Levi glanced down at his blades. "And if not, well...it wouldn't be the first time I've had to kill humans."</p><p>Eren winced and looked at the ground. Mikasa silently took his hand, trying to give him what comfort she could.</p><hr/><p>For the three survivors from the Walls, most of the day passed by relatively uneventfully, and it wasn't until late in the evening that something finally happened.</p><p>Several horses rode through the ruined outer gate, and converged on the campfire that Eren and Mikasa were sitting at. On the horses were Magath, Zeke, Pieck, Reiner, Bertolt, and Ymir.</p><p>Reiner pointed at the two young scouts. "That's them, that's Eren and Mikasa."</p><p>Magath regarded the two islanders curiously. After relaying more information about them, both Reiner and Zeke had insisted that they return to the walls and retrieve the handful of survivors. He had been somewhat reluctant, but when he considered how he would feel if he had been living his normal life in Marley and then one day saw everyone around him die, he'd go mad if he had to stay there, and given the extraordinary circumstances he was willing to offer humanitarian aid even to the island devils, especially since there were so few of them left.</p><p>And as he observed Eren and Mikasa, he knew that he had made the right choice. Mikasa looked miserable enough, but Eren's eyes looked almost dead, hollow, as if he'd suffered some grievous wound and his spirit had emptied out through the opening, leaving him looking lost and unbearably sad, and Magath couldn't help but feel pity for them.</p><p>A short distance away, Pieck was having similar thoughts. Initially after hearing about Eren she had been filled with nothing but hatred and rage. Knowing that almost all of the Eldians in the world, including her father, had been wiped out in a single night deeply disturbed her. And for all of Reiner's claims, she had refused to believe that anyone could do such a thing by accident. This had been a deliberate and malicious act, she was certain of it, and she would make this person pay.</p><p>But now that she was seeing Eren with her own eyes, she could feel her anger and disgust melting away as she took in his despondent demeanor. It was a look she'd seen once before, after a member of the Panzer unit had unintentionally killed one of their fellow soldiers after the soldier had carelessly run in front of the barrel of his gun. Neither she nor any of the other Panzer squad members had blamed him for what happened, but getting him to forgive himself had taken a while.</p><p>Now she could see the same look on Eren's face, and she found herself overcome with sympathy for the poor young man in front of her. Reiner had been telling the truth. It was an accident. As terrible as she felt about the situation, Pieck knew that Eren must be feeling far worse.</p><p>As the riders approached them, Eren barely acknowledged their arrival, while Mikasa was watching them warily.</p><p>Zeke was the first to dismount from his horse. "So you're Eren. Reiner told me all about you. I'm so sorry about what you've had to go through."</p><p>He walked over to the campfire and tried to smile reassuringly. "My name is Zeke Yeager. I'm your half brother."</p><p>Eren's eyes widened, and for the first time he seemed to be paying full attention to his surroundings as he looked up at his older brother.</p><p>Zeke's smile became sad. "Believe me, Eren, I understand what you're feeling. We've both been put through hell by that despicable man."</p><p>His smile faded. "Grisha...he tried brainwashing me and using me for his shortsighted nationalistic plans, treating me like a tool instead of a son."</p><p>Much as she disliked hearing her adoptive father being talked about like that, Mikasa did remember that in his journal Grisha had said he hadn't treated Zeke very well, and regretted it greatly.</p><p>Zeke let out a weary sigh. "I suppose he must have learned something from his mistake, as he didn't try to do the same thing to you, but he overcorrected and kept you completely in the dark, even after he forced the power of the Titans on you. And this is the end result."</p><p>He frowned. "You were just trying to help your people, but you ended up destroying them instead, all because that bastard couldn't be bothered to explain anything."</p><p>Zeke held out his hand to Eren. "I know we've just met, but believe me when I say I won't use you or abandon you like he did. We're the last of the Eldian race, and we need to look out for each other. Especially now that the Titans and the power of the Titans are gone."</p><p>"So your Titan powers are gone then?"</p><p>Everyone looked up to see Levi perched on a nearby roof.</p><p>Reiner's eyes widened. "Shit."</p><p>Magath rested his hand on his pistol, ready to draw it out at a moment's notice. "Who are you?"</p><p>"I'm Levi."</p><p>Magath scanned the other rooftops warily. "How many of you are there?"</p><p>"Just the three of us."</p><p>Levi slowly brought out his blades and casually held them at his sides. "I was waiting to hear about the status of your Titan powers before I showed myself so that I could know if I had any chance of taking you guys on in a fight. If you could still turn into Titans then trying to attack all of you would be suicide. But since you can't, defeating all of you won't be any trouble."</p><p>Pieck scoffed. "Arrogant little shit."</p><p>Reiner looked at her sharply. "Don't underestimate him. That's captain Levi, and he's the strongest soldier they had. If he wanted to kill us, he probably could."</p><p>Magath glanced at Reiner before returning his gaze to the short captain. "So, are you planning to kill us?"</p><p>Levi flipped one of the blades in his hand. "Not necessarily. I'd like to know your intentions first."</p><p>"Well, given the extraordinary circumstances, we were intending to escort any survivors back home with us."</p><p>"And why should we go with you?"</p><p>Magath smiled grimly. "Because you've got nowhere else to go? Unless you'd prefer to remain on this mass graveyard of an island. Since there's only three of you I'm fairly certain I will be able to guarantee your safety."</p><p>Zeke rubbed the back of his head as he looked up at Levi. "I know we're not on the best of terms, but like I said, we're the last Eldians. We should set aside our differences and help each other through this difficult time."</p><p>Levi sighed irritably. "Fine. We'll go back with you, but under one condition."</p><p>"And what's that?" Magath asked warily.</p><p>"One of them has to die."</p><p>Levi pointed his blade at Reiner and Bertolt.</p><p>Bertolt's face rapidly paled. "Huh?"</p><p>"What?" Pieck exclaimed.</p><p>"Are you serious?" Magath asked incredulously.</p><p>Levi's face darkened. "Yes. They're the ones who broke down Wall Maria, and they're the ones who ended up pushing Eren into unintentionally doing what he did. I know that once we get to Marley you'll be calling the shots, and we'll likely have no choice but to go along with whatever you want. But for right now, I want these bastards to be held accountable for their crimes. I want blood. That's my condition for us coming quietly."</p><p>Pieck glared at him. "You can't seriously expect us to-"</p><p>"It's fine." Reiner interjected. "Take me."</p><p>Bertolt turned toward him sharply. "Reiner…"</p><p>Reiner shook his head hopelessly. "This is all my fault. On that day, after Marcel was eaten, Annie and Bertolt wanted to go back, I'm the one who forced them to keep going. Everything that's happened was because of me."</p><p>Reiner looked up at Levi, his face pale but his expression determined. "So if you want blood, take mine. Just leave Bertolt alone."</p><p>"Reiner!" Bertolt protested.</p><p>Levi crouched near the edge of the roof, his blades ready to go. "Fine by me."</p><p>He glanced at Magath.</p><p>Magath sighed. "Oh bloody hell. Fine, if you Eldians want to kill each other, I won't stop you."</p><p>"Wait!" Bertolt protested.</p><p>In the blink of an eye, Levi had swooped down and beheaded Reiner. The body and the severed head both fell to the ground with a meaty thud, blood pouring out of them.</p><p>Bertolt was standing stock still, trembling due to how close Levi had passed by him, and distressed at the sight of his friend's body. He was upset, incredibly upset, but he knew that Levi's anger was justified, and there really wasn't anything he could do, unless he wanted to push his luck and end up the same way as Reiner.</p><p>Magath looked at Levi nervously, taken aback by how fast the man had moved. "There, are you satisfied?"</p><p>Levi wiped his blades off on Reiner's clothes before returning them to their scabbards. "For now."</p><p>"Good."</p><p>Since it was late in the evening, it was decided that they would rest for the night and make the journey back to the coast early in the morning. Despite being rather tense, the discussion managed to remain civil.</p><p>As they dispersed for the night, Eren found his gaze lingering on Reiner's body. Not so long ago he would have been overjoyed by the sight of Reiner's corpse, relishing in seeing justice served for all the lives he had taken. Now, though, he didn't feel anything at all, his previous anger and disgust at Reiner's actions extinguished in the face of his own sins.</p><hr/><p>Mikasa stood near the edge of the balcony, her hands resting on the railing as she stared out at the gorgeous view of the ocean and the sandy shore just a short distance away. Under other circumstances she would have been completely in awe of the view, and the waves falling upon the shore would have been an inviting, soothing sound. Even now the sights and sounds of the sea did have a calming effect on her, but they couldn't completely wash away the sadness and uneasiness within her.</p><p>It had been about a week since they'd left Shiganshina, and a fair amount had happened during the intervening time. After riding south on horseback for about a day, they'd reached the coast, which had given Eren, Levi, and her their first sighting of the ocean. It had been just as Armin had described it, right down to the vast quantities of salt.</p><p>Mikasa dearly wished that their friend could have had the chance to see the sea with them, but she didn't mention this, knowing that Eren still blamed himself for Armin's death.</p><p>Shortly after arriving at the coast the three of them, along with the other surviving Eldians, were escorted onto the ship stationed at the docks, and the ship had brought them to Marley.</p><p>Seeing Marley had been even more of a shock then seeing the ocean. In many ways it resembled the world behind the walls they had known, but the architectural style was slightly different, and there were other things such as cars and electricity that were completely alien to them. Fortunately Zeke was more than happy to explain to them anything they didn't understand, and was very patient with their many questions.</p><p>They didn't see much of Marley though before they were escorted to a summer home that had been owned by the Tybur family and kept under house arrest while the Marleyan government figured out what to do with them. It was a large house equipped with every modern comfort and convenience, so it was a very nice prison, but a prison nonetheless.</p><p>Bertolt, Pieck, and Zeke had their personal belongings from the internment zones brought to them, and Zeke later explained the reason why they weren't staying in the internment zones: they were still clearing out the bodies of all the Eldians that had died.</p><p>Because there were so many of them, the Marleyans had no choice but to dispose of the bodies by dumping them in mass graves or burning them, and periodically they had seen smoke rising from the edge of the city, a grim reminder of all the lives that had been lost.</p><p>Whenever she saw the smoke, Mikasa did her best to keep Eren indoors so that he wouldn't see. This sadly proved to be all too easy, as Eren had been going along with whatever she wanted without putting up any fight.</p><p>Ever since the night he had tried to kill himself Mikasa had kept a close eye on him, and had even ended up sleeping in the same bed as him just in case, something they hadn't done since they were kids. Not so long ago if she'd tried to do this Eren would have complained about her being overly protective and yelled at her to stop treating him like a little kid.</p><p>But she found she would have preferred that reaction to the quiet sadness Eren was displaying now. As angry and annoying as the old Eren could get, and as much as some of his thoughtless comments had hurt, he had been so passionate and full of life. He was a person who firmly believed in protecting the ones he cared about and fighting against those who would dare to hurt them due to his ironclad sense of right and wrong. He was the one who had saved her from a terrible fate, and given her a home and a family when she had nowhere else to go. He had been her light, her fire, and she had been more than willing to follow him into hell if she needed to.</p><p>Now, though, it was like the fire had all but gone out, with only a few feeble sparks left. It pained her to see him like this, but she refused to give up, and did all she could to keep the flames alive.</p><p>Levi did his best to help, but for the most part he'd been too occupied with keeping an eye on the Marleyan soldiers guarding the house, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. He'd also been safeguarding the three books left behind by Grisha, as no one other than the three of them knew about them.</p><p>Strangely enough the person who had done the best job at raising Eren's spirits had been Zeke. Mikasa had been surprised, seeing how Zeke didn't even know Eren existed until a week ago, but he did seem to have genuine affection for his younger brother. From what she had read in Grisha's journals Mikasa knew that Zeke had not had a very good relationship with his parents, and so perhaps he had been longing for a real sense of family that he could now have with his brother.</p><p>Mikasa had to admit that Zeke's methods of cheering Eren up were highly effective. Rather than trying to encourage Eren or reassure him that he hadn't done anything wrong, instead he'd simply been telling Eren about the outside world, informing him about all kinds of things that he hadn't known about growing up in ignorance behind the walls. It gave Eren something else to focus on, and he seemed genuinely interested in the things that Zeke talked about.</p><p>Mikasa was slightly annoyed that Zeke seemed to be doing a better job at helping Eren heal than she was, but she did her best not to show her annoyance, knowing that Eren's wellbeing was more important.</p><p>As she had been busy keeping an eye on Eren and Zeke, she didn't interact with the other surviving Eldians much. Ymir stayed in her room most of the time, Pieck spent most of her time reading in the house's modestly sized library, and Mikasa did her best to avoid Bertolt.</p><p>The one time Bertolt had talked to them it had been to ask about what had really happened to Annie. Eren had quietly answered, explaining how she had been trapped inside of that crystal, and was unharmed. Bertolt had looked immensely relieved, but quickly left after seeing the look on Mikasa's face.</p><p>Levi had seemingly been satisfied with Reiner's death, but she would never forget that it was Bertolt's face she had seen looming over the wall that day.</p><p>But while her anger at Bertolt remained, she knew that, given the circumstances, there was no point in holding a grudge.</p><p>A faint knocking behind her pulled Mikasa from her thoughts. She turned away from the ocean and looked back to see Eren standing in the doorway.</p><p>"Zeke told me Magath will be here in about an hour." Eren said quietly.</p><p>"Oh. Okay."</p><p>She walked away from the railing and went back inside with Eren.</p><p>About an hour later, Eren, Mikasa, Levi, Zeke, Pieck, Bertolt, and Ymir had gathered in the living room, with Magath and two Marleyan soldiers sitting near the front of the room.</p><p>As she surveyed the other remaining Eldians, she could see that most of them still looked rather miserable, and Mikasa knew she probably did too.</p><p>The only two exceptions were Zeke, who seemed fairly calm, and Levi, who was watching the Marleyans warily.</p><p>Levi scowled. "So, are you finally going to tell us what's going on?"</p><p>The two Marleyan soldiers looked scandalized that an Eldian would dare to speak so disrespectfully to a Marleyan officer, but said nothing, Magath having given them orders to remain silent.</p><p>Magath let out a long sigh. "The past few days have been a living monument to the phrase 'Be careful what you wish for.' There are a lot of people who secretly, and in some cases not so secretly, wanted the Eldian race to die out. But now that it's actually happened the consequences have been catastrophic. Despite looking down on them Marley was dependent on its Eldian population, both as a reliable source of cheap labor and for a large chunk of our military. Now that they're all suddenly gone the economy has all but collapsed, and half a dozen other countries have already declared war on us. Our leaders are busy scrambling trying to figure out how to fix this mess."</p><p>He leaned forward. "Since there are so few of you left, and the Titan powers seem to be gone, you have completely dropped off of their list of priorities. So for the most part it's been left up to me to decide what will happen to you."</p><p>Ymir stared at him anxiously. "What are you going to do?"</p><p>Magath glanced at her. "There are several options. The only other Eldian left in the world besides you is Lara Tybur, who survived because she was the Warhammer Titan. The Tybur family died along with all the other Eldians, leaving Lara the sole holder of the Tybur family's enormous wealth. She's already sold and donated a lot of her assets to Marley, but after learning about you all she has agreed to share her wealth with her last remaining kin. If you want, you could join her and spend the rest of your days in the lap of luxury."</p><p>His gaze shifted to Mikasa. "But I have a feeling that those of you from the island would prefer to not live here, given your history with Marley. There is another option. I contacted Kiyomi Azumabito, the ambassador from Hizuru, and I told her about you."</p><p>Mikasa blinked in surprise. "Me?"</p><p>"Yes. As the last living Asian from within the walls there's a good chance that your ancestors originated from Hizuru. Kiyomi was intrigued, and has agreed to provide you with sanctuary in Hizuru. And from what I understood, if you choose this option Lara Tybur will still provide you with a fund to help secure your future."</p><p>Mikasa tilted her head as she considered this. "Well...that second option sounds rather nice."</p><p>She squeezed Eren's hand. "Doesn't it Eren?"</p><p>Eren silently nodded.</p><p>Levi folded his arms. "This is all suspiciously generous. What's the catch?"</p><p>Magath glanced at Zeke before returning his gaze to Levi, a grimace forming on his face.</p><p>"Well, regardless of which option you choose, there is one thing that my superiors said will be required. All of you will need to be sterilized."</p><p>The remaining Eldians froze in shock.</p><p>"What?" Mikasa breathed.</p><p>Magath frowned apologetically. "While eliminating the Eldian race completely was not what we originally intended, given that there are so few of you left-"</p><p>"-you want to make sure you finish the job, is that it?!" Levi yelled.</p><p>"That's not-"</p><p>Levi leaped to his feet, his face livid. "We've lost everything because of the events you set into motion, and now you want to take away our ability to have children?!"</p><p>"Were you planning to have children?" Zeke asked calmly.</p><p>Levi deflated slightly. "...well, no, but the others…"</p><p>Zeke shook his head. "I can understand how you feel, but you're still new to the outside world. While it is true that the Titan powers appear to be gone, we don't know for certain that they are gone for good. And regardless, as Eldians we'll always be looked down on and regarded with suspicion, as will any children we have. And after all the death and destruction that has happened because of the Titans, you can't really blame them when the existence of the Titans and the Eldian race are so inescapably linked."</p><p>Levi fell silent, reflecting on all of his comrades who had been killed by the Titans. Much as it galled him to be ordered around by the Marleyans who had created those Titans, he had to concede they had a point. While they had been exploiting the power of the Titans, the Marleyans were not the ones who had created this power.</p><p>As long as Eldians existed, there would always be the possibility of this power returning. And if this were to happen, the Eldians would continue to be exploited, and humanity would continue to live in fear of the Titans.</p><p>He could understand their reasoning. But that didn't mean he had to like it, and after everything they'd been through it seemed unfair to ask even more of them.</p><p>Mikasa chewed on her lip. "Eren, what do you think?"</p><p>Eren looked at Magath and shrugged hopelessly. "After all the lives I've taken, I have no right to judge anyone else. If you think this is for the best, I'll do it."</p><p>Mikasa looked at him seriously. "Eren, listen to me, you are not a monster. You didn't mean to kill all those people."</p><p>Eren looked at her sadly. "But that doesn't change the fact that I am the one who did it."</p><p>Mikasa shook her head helplessly, unsure of what to say. She had already forgiven him, but it seemed that getting him to forgive himself would take much longer.</p><hr/><p>After a few more arguments and thinly veiled threats (the most memorable one coming from Levi when he not so casually mentioned that he once killed a man just using a rusty spoon) the remaining Eldians reluctantly agreed to the sterilization. Eren, Levi, Zeke, and Bertolt were given vasoligations, while Mikasa, Pieck, and Ymir were given tubal ligations, thus ending their genetic lines and ensuring that the Eldian race would become extinct upon their deaths.</p><p>After the sterilization was completed, Magath kept his word, and the remaining Eldians went their separate ways. Bertolt, Pieck, and Ymir joined Lara Tybur, while the others elected to take up Kiyomi's offer of sanctuary in Hizuru. Eren, Mikasa, and Levi went with Kiyomi due to their disdain for Marley, while Zeke came with them so that he could stay with his brother and (so he hoped) future sister in law.</p><p>As the ship made its way out to sea, Kiyomi surveyed her four Eldian guests with a smile.</p><p>"It's wonderful to meet you all. I'm so sorry for what you've had to go through. It must have been so painful."</p><p>She nodded reassuringly at Mikasa. "But I am glad I got to meet the descendant of our lost people. Rest assured, you will be looked after."</p><p>"Thank you." Mikasa murmured quietly.</p><p>Kiyomi waved her hand casually at the lower deck. "It'll be a few days before we arrive in Hizuru, so make yourselves at home."</p><p>"Okay. Eren, why don't we go check on our room."</p><p>Eren silently nodded, and he and Mikasa went below deck. Sensing they needed some time alone, Zeke headed for the front of the ship to get a better view of the ocean.</p><p>Now that it was just the two of them, Levi eyed Kiyomi suspiciously.</p><p>"Alright, what's your angle?"</p><p>"I beg your pardon?"</p><p>Levi folded his arms. "I know you and Mikasa are distantly related, but I seriously doubt that you would do all of this purely out of the goodness of your heart for a girl you just met. What's your real motive?"</p><p>"That's rather unfair of you. I do sincerely care about Mikasa's wellbeing. After all, blood is blood no matter how thinly spread. And I will keep my promise of offering you all sanctuary."</p><p>Kiyomi glanced off to the side. "Having said that...there is something else."</p><p>Levi scowled. "What is it?"</p><p>Kiyomi carefully considered her words before she continued.</p><p>"Well, at the moment Marley is thoroughly preoccupied with their own problems, and most of the other nations are also focused on Marley. Nobody is looking at Paradis island right now, and all of its inhabitants are gone."</p><p>Levi's eyes narrowed. "So basically, the island has tons of natural resources that you want to exploit while no one else is paying attention. And you need someone who knows the lay of the land to help you."</p><p>Kiyomi inclined her head. "In essence, yes."</p><p>Levi let out a bitter laugh. "It hasn't even been a month and already we've got grave robbers. Tch. Whatever. It's not like the people of the island need the resources anymore. If you want me to help you survey the island, fine, but you leave them out of this."</p><p>He jerked his head in the direction Eren and Mikasa had gone, making it quite clear that he wouldn't tolerate them being hurt or exploited in any way.</p><p>"Of course." Kiyomi smiled shrewdly. "I look forward to doing business with you."</p><p>She then walked away to speak with the captain, leaving Levi alone with his thoughts.</p><p>Levi found himself feeling oddly relieved. While Kiyomi seemed to be shamelessly mercenary, at least her motives made sense, and he would have found it more suspicious if she was helping them without a clear and selfish reason. After all, most people didn't help others unless there was something in it for them.</p><p>He glanced at the entrance to the lower deck where Eren and Mikasa had gone, and his expression softened slightly. Most people, but not all.</p><hr/><p>Mikasa poked her head through the arch, and smiled when she saw Eren sitting on the bench near the Azumabito garden.</p><p>He looked up and a small smile lit up his face. "Morning Mikasa."</p><p>"Hey." She walked over and sat down next to him. "I thought I might find you here."</p><p>She unwrapped the scarf from her neck and carefully wrapped it around Eren. He reached out and took her hand, gently squeezing it before returning his gaze to the pleasant environment around them. A cherry blossom tree overlooked the garden, and birds could be heard singing.</p><p>Eren's face was calm and serene, and Mikasa was incredibly happy to see him doing better.</p><p>Four years had passed since they first arrived at the Azumabito estate, and while Eren was still much quieter and more solemn then he had been before, slowly but surely he'd gotten better, and as the years passed he seemed to be enjoying life again. He had some relapses where he would withdraw back into a more depressed state, but those were becoming less frequent, and Mikasa hoped that there would come a time when he could completely forgive himself.</p><p>She'd discussed Eren's wellbeing a few times privately with Zeke, and while he did his best to help his younger brother, in his opinion she had been the biggest factor in Eren's healing process.</p><p>He also believed that Eren did reciprocate her romantic feelings but was waiting at least one more year before he acted upon them. If in one year Zeke didn't die, then that would prove that the Titan powers and the curse of Ymir were truly gone. With that no longer hanging over them, Eren would then feel more comfortable building a life together for them.</p><p>Mikasa could understand Eren's reasoning, and was more than willing to wait. She would be overjoyed if their relationship became romantic in nature, but ultimately she just wanted to be by his side. Whether they remained friends or became lovers, she would always be there for him.</p><p>While the two of them had mainly stayed at the Azumabito estate for the past four years, they knew things in the world were changing, and thanks to Kiyomi they were kept fairly up to date on current events.</p><p>Shortly after they had left Marley a long and rather violent war had broken out between Marley and several other nations. Hizuru had stayed out of it, but apparently the casualties on both sides had been very high. The war had ended just a few months ago with Marley's unconditional surrender, and the once mighty superpower was now a much smaller country, having been forced to give up a lot of its territory as reparation.</p><p>Despite the war, Mikasa still occasionally got letters from Ymir, and so knew that Lara, Ymir, Pieck, and Bertolt were doing well, their lives being fairly easy thanks to the Tybur family's money and influence, though the Tybur family's name didn't carry as much weight as it once had.</p><p>The world's reaction to the death of the Eldian race had been rather mixed. Thanks to a century of Marleyan propaganda there had been many who actively rejoiced now that the descendants of devils were gone. But those with a basic sense of empathy, even those who had hated the Eldians, had been taken aback at the appallingly high death toll, and reconsidered their position in light of the extraordinary circumstances. Still others didn't really care either way, and had already moved on, completely indifferent to the wellbeing of anyone but themselves.</p><p>Some of the things she read about in the newspapers angered her greatly, but Mikasa knew that this kind of thoughtless prejudice was sadly a part of human nature. And while she resented Marley for having taken away her ability to have children, she had to admit that perhaps it was better this way, as the idea of raising a child in a world that would consider it a devil for the crime of having been born was not a pleasant one.</p><p>As for the others, Mikasa knew that Levi was helping Kiyomi with some kind of business venture, Zeke was engaged in scientific research, while she acted as one of the guards for the Kiyomi estate.</p><p>As for Eren, he did odd jobs here and there in the estate, and lately he had been tending to the garden, the act of raising and nurturing life doing a lot to raise his spirits.</p><p>As Eren sat on the bench, the scarf wrapped around him, the sounds of nature permeating the air, for the first time in many years he looked almost happy.</p><p>Mikasa smiled. She knew that the scars would remain, and things would never go back to how they used to be. But they still had each other, and despite everything life was still worth living.</p><hr/><p>Authors Note: Bonus points if you spotted the Undertale reference.</p><p>So yeah, this story was pretty dark, but it's an idea I've had for quite a while. After all, if you think about it, it's pretty lucky in canon that Eren didn't accidentally do something more extreme when he unlocked the Founding Titan's power at the end of season two, given just how powerful it is. So this story and the previous one were about exploring what might have happened if he'd unintentionally done something more. In this case he ended up accidentally killing every Eldian in the world except for the people who had been Titan shifters and the Ackerman clan. Obviously I made those exceptions because if I didn't the story would be a lot shorter, and there wouldn't be as much tension or drama.</p><p>Given this exception I made Kenny and Annie are also still alive, but I decided to leave it ambiguous about what happened to them. In Kenny's case he's definitely strong enough to survive on his own until he's eventually found by Levi or someone else, but on the other hand after seeing that everyone's dead, he might just go "well this is fucking boring" and shoot himself in the head. As for Annie, well she's still trapped in the crystal, so on the one hand she'll be perfectly safe until Bertolt or someone else eventually finds her, but on the other hand I'm not sure if getting her out of the crystal is even possible now that the Titan powers are gone.</p><p>I know that Magath helping them might seem slightly odd, but in the manga he was willing to listen to former enemies under extreme circumstances, and these were also extreme circumstances, just extreme in the other direction, and while he is prejudiced against Eldians I think he has enough empathy to not be a complete dick when only a handful of Eldians are left.</p><p>As for Zeke, while he obviously isn't happy about the sudden death of every Eldian, it was in essence a sped up version of his plan, and so he considers it an unfortunate but ultimately necessary evil. I also thought about making it look like it was actually Zeke who had secretly insisted on the sterilizations rather than the Marleyan leaders, but I decided to leave that open to interpretation.</p><p>Also, based on the conversation in chapter 130 Zeke appears to be a hardcore Eremika shipper, so I hinted at that here as well.</p><p>Anyways, be sure to leave a review and let me know what you thought.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Best Worst Case Scenario</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Levi stared down at the human form of the Beast Titan, his breathing somewhat heavy after the short but brutal fight.</p><p>"After transforming, if your body is severely damaged, it's too busy healing to let you resume your Titan form. Isn't that right?"</p><p>The man didn't respond, and Levi pushed his blade forward so that it sliced right through the man's cheek.</p><p>"Hey, I asked you a question, it's only polite to answer."</p><p>Levi lowered his hand slightly as his thoughts turned to the serum in his pocket.</p><p>
  <em>I can't kill him yet. There must be someone out there who's still alive. It doesn't matter if-</em>
</p><p>Levi unintentionally brushed his hand against the man's abdomen, and suddenly he felt a spark of electricity shooting up his arm.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>A small crowd of people was gathered before the table, and at the head of the crowd was an old king, his three daughters standing in front of him. On the table before them was the butchered corpse of a young woman, and the three daughters were slowly chewing on pieces of the corpse that had been placed before them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The King stared down at them and spoke with a commanding voice.</em>
</p><p>"<em>Eat my daughters. Whatever it takes, you must inherit Ymir's power. Eat all of Ymir until nothing is left, Maria, Rose, and Sina."</em></p><hr/><p>Levi jerked his head in shock, looking around in bewilderment.</p><p>"What the hell was that?!"</p><p>He looked back at the Beast Titan's human form, but the man just stared at him in confusion, as if he had no idea what he was talking about.</p><p>Levi furrowed his brow. <em>What I just saw...was that a vision? Or...a memory?</em></p><p>He heard a rumbling sound behind him, and just barely dove out of the way before a Titan's mouth clamped down on him.</p><p>With him out of the way, the quadrupedal Titan snatched up the Beast Titan's human form and hastily dashed away.</p><p>Levi stared at his fleeing quarry dumbly, his mind still rattled by the strange vision he'd seen.</p><p>"Hey, stop." He muttered.</p><p>The Beast Titan's eyes snapped open, and he bellowed. "ALL OF YOU! KILL HIM!"</p><p>At once all of the Titans that had been standing still sprang into action and began to run toward Levi.</p><p>With more pressing matters at hand, Levi brushed the vision aside and focused on the Titans before him.</p><p>"No." He replaced his blades. "I can't die here. I promised Erwin I would kill you no matter what."</p><p>He fired his hook into the nearest Titan and launched himself into the air, his blades ready to go.</p><hr/><p>Levi grabbed the helpless Colossal Titan by the collar and looked at everyone on the roof sternly. "Everyone get out of here right now! I don't want Erwin to eat one of you instead of Bertolt!"</p><p>After everyone had vacated the roof, Levi set Bertolt down, and got the syringe ready. He regretted that he had let the Beast Titan get away, but at least he would be able to save Erwin.</p><p>As he approached Erwin, the commander lifted his hand up and spoke softly, Levi just barely able to make out the words.</p><p>"Teacher...how were the three walls built?"</p><p>Levi found himself letting out a small smile. <em>He must be reliving some memory from his childhood. Asking a teacher about the three walls…</em></p><p>Levi froze. The three walls.</p><p>In his hurry to chase after the Beast Titan and the ensuing argument about who to use the serum on he had completely forgotten about that strange vision he'd seen, but now it came flooding back.</p><p>
  <em>Maria, Rose, and Sina.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eat all of Ymir until nothing is left.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Whatever it takes, you must inherit Ymir's power.</em>
</p><p>Levi looked down at Erwin, then glanced back at Armin, an outlandish idea occurring to him.</p><p>
  <em>Impossible. Insane. But if it worked…</em>
</p><p>His grip on the syringe tightened.</p><hr/><p>Bertolt woke up in the middle of a destroyed house, his entire body wracked with pain, as if he'd had all four of his limbs chopped off and then fallen through a collapsed roof, which, funnily enough, was exactly what had happened to him.</p><p>He didn't have any time to get his bearings though before he noticed that two Titans were coming toward him, a five meter with a hollow face on his left, and a ten meter with a head noticeably too small for its body on his right.</p><p>Unable to move, all Bertolt could do was scream.</p><p>"NO! STOP IT! SOMEONE HELP ME! ANNIE! REINER!"</p><p>As the two Titans tore into Bertolt, the surviving Scouts watched from a nearby roof.</p><p>Floch looked at Levi in shock. "Captain, why the hell did you turn both of them into Titans? Is it so they'll fight over Bertolt? Is this some kind of sick game to you or something?!"</p><p>Levi shook his head. "Call it a crazy hunch. We still don't really understand how the Titan powers work. But I thought that if both Armin and Erwin ate part of Bertolt it might be possible to save both of them. If I'm wrong, so be it. But if I'm right…"</p><p>Erwin's Titan collapsed, and steam started to pour out of the nape. Armin's Titan seemed to sense that a human was about to emerge from the nape, and began to crawl toward it.</p><p>Levi stood up and got ready to cut Armin's Titan down. If his plan had failed, he wanted to make sure he at least saved Erwin, plus he didn't think that Armin would react well if he found out that he had eaten Erwin.</p><p>But just as he was about to swoop down and kill Armin's Titan, it collapsed to the ground, and steam began to pour out of its nape as well.</p><p>Hange gaped in amazement. "No way. Did it actually work?"</p><p>The remaining Scouts descended down and approached the two newly resurrected soldiers. Eren, Mikasa, Jean, and Connie gathered around Armin, while Levi, Hange, and Floch gathered around Erwin, tears of relief flowing down their faces.</p><hr/><p>Armin slowly sat up, his head feeling heavy, and froze when he realized something massive was looming over him.</p><p>He looked up and saw the massive form of the Colossal Titan's head a short distance away. It stared at him for a moment, its eyes sad, before suddenly all of the flesh and muscle melted away, leaving only a giant skull. A crack formed above the skull's left eye socket and traveled up to the top of the head before an adjacent crack formed below the skull's left eye socket, continuing down and to the side until it reached the side of the skull. With nothing left to support it, the fragment of the skull detached and fell down toward Armin.</p><p>As the fragment descended toward him, threatening to crush him, Armin hastily shielded himself with his hands, knowing it was futile, bracing himself for the end.</p><p>But the end never came. He hesitantly opened his eyes, and suddenly found himself on top of the wall, the grim spectacle of the Colossal Titan's fractured skull nowhere in sight.</p><p>He looked around in confusion. "A dream? Where am I?"</p><p>He looked down, and saw someone else laying down next to him.</p><p>His eyes widened. "Commander Erwin."</p><p>Erwin began to stir, and slowly opened his eyes.</p><p>He sat up, looking unsettled. "Huh? I'm...still alive?"</p><p>Erwin looked down at his hands, his eyes widening.</p><p>"Looks like you're both up."</p><p>Armin and Erwin turned around to see Levi standing a short distance away, with Sasha lying down next to him out cold.</p><p>Levi pulled out a gun and fired a smoke signal into the sky.</p><p>Erwin stood up. "What happened Levi?"</p><p>"The battle ended about five or six hours ago. The others have been searching for survivors, but at this point that seems doubtful."</p><p>Armin glanced at Sasha before looking over the ruined city of Shiganshina. "How many of us are left?"</p><p>Levi grimaced. "Just ten."</p><p>Armin looked at him sharply. "Is Eren…"</p><p>Levi waved a hand reassuringly. "He's fine."</p><p>Levi then summarized the battle for Erwin and Armin, explaining how they had won but how the Beast and Armored Titans had gotten away thanks to the quadruped Titan.</p><p>Levi looked down in shame. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise."</p><p>Erwin shook his head. "It's alright. We'll worry about the Beast Titan later."</p><p>While Levi had been explaining the battle to them, the others arrived one by one.</p><p>Seeing that he was up, Eren and Mikasa ran toward their friend.</p><p>"Armin!" Eren cried.</p><p>They hugged him, the three childhood friends embracing each other tightly.</p><p>"Welcome back." Mikasa said softly, trying to hold back tears of relief.</p><p>After the touching reunion was over, Levi went on to explain the argument that had broken out over who would eat Bertolt. Eren and Mikasa looked rather awkward as he detailed their mutiny, but neither apologized for it.</p><p>"I was originally going to save you, Erwin, but then it occurred to me that it might be possible to save both of you if both of you ate Bertolt."</p><p>Erwin glanced at Armin before returning his gaze to Levi, a small smile on his face. "Since we're both standing here, I think it's safe to assume that it worked."</p><p>Armin looked down, a troubled expression on his face. "So, we ate Bertolt…"</p><p>Jean frowned. "Bertolt was the Colossal Titan, and now the power has been divided between two people. But what does this mean?"</p><p>Hange put a hand to her chin. "If I had to guess, Erwin and Armin are now both Titan shifters, and their collective abilities will be roughly equal to that of the Colossal Titan, with neither being quite as strong as Bertolt was."</p><p>She looked over at Erwin and Armin. "It's a shame we've lost the full power of the Colossal, but at the same time having two more shifters will be quite useful, as I doubt the enemy will be expecting that."</p><p>She smiled softly. "And of course it's great that we were able to save both of you."</p><p>She turned to Levi with a frown. "But how did you come up with this idea Levi? And why were you so sure it would work?"</p><p>Levi considered mentioning the strange vision he had seen, but decided against it, unsure of how he would even try to go about explaining it when he didn't understand it himself.</p><p>He shrugged. "I don't know. It just came to me."</p><p>Erwin smiled. "Well, it's hard to argue with the results. As for Eren and Mikasa's insubordination, I think that can be overlooked given the unbelievably stressful and emotional situation. No permanent harm was done, so there's no sense dwelling on it."</p><p>His smile faded, and his expression became serious. "Now that we've secured Shiganshina and wall Maria, our first priority is to reach that basement. Eren, you still have the key?"</p><p>Eren pulled it out. "Yes sir, it's right here."</p><p>"Very good. Let's go."</p><p>Erwin, Hange, Eren, and Mikasa headed for the basement, while the others remained on the wall to keep an eye out just in case the enemy returned, even though that seemed unlikely.</p><p>Erwin led the group of four, eager to learn the truth about the world they lived in.</p><hr/><p>Author's Note: Now I know some people will say that what happened in this story is impossible, but let me explain why I disagree.</p><p>We already know it's possible to divide the Titan powers. Originally the power of the Titans was contained entirely within Ymir Fritz's body. Then, after her body was cannibalized by her three daughters, Maria, Rose, and Sina, it was divided three ways. Then, following the king's instructions, after they died Maria, Rose, and Sina had their corpses cannibalized by their three eldest children, dividing the power nine ways, and thus the Nine Titans were born. But why did they stop there? Personally I think it's because they didn't want to dilute the Titan powers too much. I mean some of the Titans, such as the Colossal or Warhammer, are still pretty strong, but when you get to the ones like the Jaws or the Cart, while they're definitely useful, they pale in comparison to what Ymir's power was like. And those with more powerful Titans would have had an advantage over those with less powerful Titans, and they likely wouldn't want to risk giving up this advantage by dividing the powers any further. And after enough time passed the Nine Titans just became an ingrained and iconic part of the Eldian empire's identity, so the idea of dividing them any more never came up. That doesn't mean it couldn't happen, and from what has been established I think dividing the powers beyond the nine is definitely possible.</p><p>Personally I think that during the initial three way split Ymir's power was divided into three Titans, the Founding Titan, which represented the human and commanding aspect of the Titans, the Colossal Titan, which represented the sheer scale and raw power of the Titans, and the Beast Titan, which represented the animalistic traits of the Titans.</p><p>Then, when the first Founding Titan was split three ways, it was divided into a less powerful Founding Titan that still retained the key power of commanding other Titans, the Warhammer Titan, and the Female Titan. When the first Colossal Titan was split three ways, it was divided into the less massive but still huge Colossal Titan we see in canon, the Armored Titan, and the Attack Titan. And when the first Beast Titan was split three ways, it was divided into the less powerful version of the Beast Titan seen in canon, the Jaw Titan, and the Cart Titan. That's just my theory though.</p><p>So in this situation, where the Colossal Titan is divided between Erwin and Armin, the way I'm imagining it Erwin would inherit most of the Colossal Titan's power and he would be the new Colossal Titan, though his would only be 40 to 50 meters tall rather than 60, while Armin would become a new kind of Titan with as yet unknown abilities and characteristics.</p><p>I think it's a neat idea, and there's a lot of possibilities here, so someday I may expand on this more. Be sure to leave a review and let me know what you thought.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. An Unwinnable Battle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The fire crackled and sparked, and it was the only sound that could be heard over the tense and uncomfortable silence that had followed Reiner's confession.</p><p>Reiner and Annie looked downcast, their faces miserable after being forced to recall Marco's last moments, while Gabi and Falco watched them uncertainly. Armin, Mikasa, and Connie looked saddened, while Hange and Magath had grim expressions, and were waiting to see how Jean would react. Pieck had a neutral expression on her face, as did Onyankapon, while Yelena seemed almost disappointed by Jean's lack of a violent reaction upon learning the truth behind Marco's death. Levi remained still and had no visible reaction to Reiner's confession, though that could have been because of the bandages covering his face and the painkillers numbing his senses.</p><p>After mulling things over for a moment, Jean quietly spoke.</p><p>"Marco...what were his last words?"</p><p>Reiner blinked, mildly surprised by Jean's question, before answering.</p><p>"He said 'We still haven't talked.'"</p><p>Jean paused, then all at once his face lit up.</p><p>"Yes...yes, that's right! We haven't talked properly. That's why...isn't that why we ended up killing each other until one of us was dead? If we had talked properly from the beginning, all of the killing up until now…"</p><p>Armin nodded in agreement, while Mikasa looked moved by Jean's words.</p><p>"It's not too late to start now." Hange said firmly. "Even people like us who have ruthlessly killed each other...at least we are now exchanging words without killing each other."</p><p>She spread out her hands with a smile. "Who could have imagined this? That we would eat together around a fire."</p><p>The circle of unlikely allies contemplated this as they sat around the fire, the occasional crackle and snap of the fire permeating the melancholy silence.</p><p>"Admirable sentiments, truly, but surely you must realize that they are ultimately futile."</p><p>The cold voice punctured the silence like a knife, and it took a moment for the group to realize where it was coming from.</p><p>Gabi spoke again. "The only reason you are even talking to each other now is because the circumstances are beyond desperate. And if you honestly think that this tenuous alliance will last beyond the present crisis then you are hopelessly naive."</p><p>Her voice and facial expression were flat and cold, completely unlike her usual mannerisms or behavior, and the words sounded wrong, almost alien, coming from her lips.</p><p>Falco looked at her nervously. "Gabi?"</p><p>She glanced at him, her eyes blank. "Sorry, but I'm not Gabi. I'm simply using this girl as a medium through which to speak so that everyone here, even the non Eldians, can hear what I have to say."</p><p>The entire group stiffened in shock as they realized the implications.</p><p>Gabi turned her gaze toward Armin, her expression emotionless. "I believe you said you wanted to talk, so by all means, let's talk."</p><p>Armin's jaw dropped. "Eren?! Eren, is that you?!"</p><p>"Yes." Gabi lowered her eyes, her expression becoming remorseful.</p><p>"Armin, Mikasa... I want to apologize for the things I said. I didn't mean a word of it. But... I didn't want you to be a part of what I was about to do."</p><p>"Eren…" Mikasa whispered.</p><p>Magath's face darkened. "So, the bastard shows himself at last, though he still has to hide behind a little girl before he'll talk to us."</p><p>Gabi's expression became cold again as she regarded the Marleyan commander.</p><p>"Bold words from the man who was the one using child soldiers to begin with. And while you can sit there and say that you're talking now, it takes two willing parties to talk. Now tell me, all along, who was it that wanted to talk, and who was it that, up until now, refused to talk?"</p><p>She jerked her head at Reiner. "In Trost Marco wanted to talk things out, and Reiner responded by killing him."</p><p>Reiner flinched and looked at the ground, while Annie eyed Gabi apprehensively.</p><p>"In Shiganshina Armin wanted to talk, and Bertolt responded by telling us all to die and then killing most of us."</p><p>Armin winced, recalling the very moment Eren was alluding to.</p><p>"And during the past four years Hange and the others have been trying for a diplomatic solution. The end result? The world declared us to be filthy devils that need to be destroyed. Nevermind the fact that, until a month ago, we had done nothing to the world, and before we reached my father's basement we knew nothing of our ancestors' crimes."</p><p>Magath glared at Gabi. "So you're trying to play the victim after everything you've done."</p><p>A truly dangerous look came onto Gabi's face, making most of those who saw it flinch and look away, and it took all of Magath's willpower to not break eye contact.</p><p>"Don't you dare lecture me." She said harshly. "You of all people have no right to judge or condemn me. As Jean said, you're the ones who chased after the rumbling. You knew through the Tybur family about the vow renouncing war, you knew that if left alone Paradis island posed no threat. But you just couldn't leave us alone, could you? No, you wanted to maintain Marley's status as a superpower, and so you needed to conquer Paradis island, both for the Founding Titan and the island's natural resources. And not only did you have the sheer nerve to frame this selfish act as a mission to save the world, but you were so tragically incompetent that you entrusted this mission to four children, with predictable results. But once Reiner and Bertolt escaped and you learned about how ignorant those of us behind the walls truly were about the world, did it ever once cross your mind to consider talking things out and maybe coming to some sort of mutually beneficial agreement? Of course not, obviously the only viable solution was to kill us all. After all, we're just filthy devils, right?"</p><p>The venom dripping from her voice and the cold fury lining her face strongly discouraged them from interrupting, and some of them were content to remain silent, eager to hear what was going on in Eren's mind, and what, if anything, they could say to get him to change his mind.</p><p>"I know you're angry with me for having trampled Liberio. Setting aside the fact that you did the same thing to my hometown nine years ago, let's imagine for a moment that I didn't attack Liberio. After that speech Willy Tybur gave, would the world have still planned to attack Paradis?"</p><p>Gabi glanced at Reiner. "Well, would they?"</p><p>Reiner looked at the ground miserably.</p><p>"...yes."</p><p>Gabi's eyes narrowed. "And would it have been a formal campaign that only targeted me and my followers and left the civilians alone? Or would it have been an indiscriminate slaughter of every man, woman, and child on this island?"</p><p>Magath remained silent, his mind thinking back to the operation scorched earth that the world had been planning, and knowing deep down that they would have almost certainly done the same thing even if Liberio hadn't been attacked.</p><p>Gabi slowly shook her head. "I never wanted any of this. What sane, decent person wants to become the worst mass murderer in human history? But you're the ones who've made it clear time and time again that you will never stop trying to destroy us because you decided that we're devils. So my only two choices were to either accept the inevitability of this island's doom because of the world's hatred, or destroy the outside world and wipe the slate clean."</p><p>She glared at Magath. "I know what I'm doing is horrible, but at least I'm not pretending it's benefiting anyone besides me and those I care about. I owe most of the people here some sort of apology, but not you. I have nothing but contempt for you."</p><p>Magath finally broke eye contact, his gaze lowering to the ground in defeat.</p><p>Armin leaned forward, his expression anxious. "But Eren, this is going too far. If it was just Marley I could maybe understand, but the entire world?"</p><p>Gabi sighed. "The hatred toward Paradis and the Eldian race is not contained to just Marley. If I did a partial rumbling this hatred would only increase, driven both by irrational prejudice of the Eldian race and rational fear of the power of the Titans. That was the problem with the 145th king. He recognized Eldia's sins, but was unwilling to actually do the hard work required to end the cycle of hatred. Instead he just toppled the Eldian empire, gave Marley power, and ran away to this island. The coward didn't resolve anything, he only made things worse with a temporary and flimsy truce, and pushed these problems onto us, placing us in an impossible situation. Well I refuse to just lay down and die, and I won't condemn future generations to repeat this whole tragic cycle all over again because of a wholly inadequate half measure. So I'm ending it all here and now. I know it's wrong. I know it's awful. But for our people it's the only viable choice."</p><p>"No." Hange objected. "There has to be another way."</p><p>Gabi looked at her impatiently. "And what way would that be? You didn't have an answer for me before. Have you come up with one now?"</p><p>Hange fell silent, recalling the confrontation she and Eren had in that cell, and understanding for the first time what he had meant.</p><p>
  <em>If there's another way, tell me what it is!</em>
</p><p>Mikasa looked at Gabi sadly. "Eren... I understand that you're doing this to protect us. And I can't deny that at a certain level it is deeply moving to know that you care about us so much you're willing to do whatever it takes to keep us safe. But I don't want our freedom to be purchased with the blood of millions."</p><p>Gabi turned toward her, but was unable to meet her eyes. "Would you prefer our children to live in a world where they must constantly live in fear of being attacked, and continually use the threat of the rumbling as a deterrent? It's too late. The world is the one that decided to take diplomacy off the table. I know that hearts and minds can be changed, but for every one person willing to hear us out there are dozens if not hundreds of others who aren't. And technology has already progressed to the point where normal Titans are no longer the unstoppable threat they once were. How long will it be before the outside world develops weapons capable of standing against even the rumbling?"</p><p>Gabi finally met Mikasa's gaze, her eyes sad. "Even if you're okay with gambling this island's future for the sake of the rest of humanity, I'm not. I'm sorry."</p><p>"Eren…" Mikasa whispered.</p><p>Gabi turned toward Annie, her face becoming emotionless once more.</p><p>"Annie, I know how you feel. You want to protect your father, yes? And those of you from Marley, you also want to protect your families. Well, that can be arranged."</p><p>Annie's eyes widened. "Really? How?"</p><p>"If you agree to abandon this foolish plan, I can use the power of the Founding Titan to turn them into Colossal Titans, and have them walk here. Once they arrive on the island I can turn them back into human. I will personally guarantee their safety, and yours."</p><p>Upon hearing this, Annie, Reiner, and Falco could feel their resolve wavering.</p><p>Pieck slowly stood up, and stared down at Gabi furiously.</p><p>"<strong>Are you seriously trying to use our affection for our families in order to blackmail us into doing nothing?</strong>"</p><p>"Yes." Gabi replied. "Would prefer for them to perish with the rest of humanity?"</p><p>Pieck grimaced, but said nothing.</p><p>Gabi looked back at Armin. "Also, Armin, I know you're worried about the Titan inheritance, and what will happen with the Nine Titans going forward. Well, that won't be a problem. I made a deal with the founder, and once the rumbling is over all the Titans will cease to exist, and the power of the Titans will be contained entirely within my body. So when I die, that will be the end of the Titans for good."</p><p>Armin blinked in shock. "Huh?"</p><p>Connie looked at her sharply. "Wait, does that mean the curse of Ymir isn't a thing anymore?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Armin, Annie, Reiner, and Pieck's eyes widened.</p><p>Gabi's expression softened. "Connie, I know you want to restore your mother to her human form. Once I return to the island I can easily do that. And Levi, I know you want to kill Zeke. Not sure what that would really accomplish at this point. Given the circumstances you'd be doing him a favor. But I can give him to you after the rumbling is over."</p><p>Connie and Levi remained silent, unsure of what to say to Eren's offer.</p><p>Gabi's expression became regretful. "Onyankapon... I am truly sorry. I wish there was another way. I wish that, at the least, I could save your family as well. But since they're not Eldians, there's really nothing I can do."</p><p>Onyankapon looked at the ground helplessly. He wanted to argue, but he could see where Eren was coming from, and more importantly he could tell that Eren wasn't going to change his mind.</p><p>Gabi turned toward the last volunteer soldier. "Yelena...I did consider Zeke's plan, I really did. And there's no denying that it was far more humane than what I'm doing. But...the outcome of that plan is something I just can't accept. I'm sorry."</p><p>Yelena said nothing, her face expressionless. Inside she was torn, part of her devastated by Eren's betrayal, but part of her taking some small comfort that, at the very least, Marley would get what was coming to them.</p><p>Jean looked at Gabi with a frown. "So that's it? You just want us to give up and let you destroy the world?"</p><p>Gabi's face became cold again. "I don't want to fight you. Of course if you insist on opposing me, well, I can offer you a battle you have no chance of winning. But I wouldn't recommend it."</p><p>She tapped the side of her head. "I now have full access to the Founding Titan's powers, which makes me functionally omnipotent when it comes to the subjects of Ymir. I can listen in on any conversation you are a part of, so I will instantly know about any plans you might have. And the only reason your Titan powers are still working is because I am allowing it, something which I could change at any time."</p><p>Hange's face paled, and the others looked shocked and dismayed upon hearing this, realizing just how hopeless a fight against the Founding Titan truly was.</p><p>Gabi closed her eyes. "I'm sure you need some time to think things over. But whatever you decide, I will know about it. Goodbye...for now…"</p><p>She bowed her head, then all at once her eyes shot open and she began to scream, her hands tightly gripping the sides of her head.</p><p>"AAAAHH!"</p><p>"Gabi!" Falco cried, wrapping his arm around her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her.</p><p>She looked around frantically. "Is he gone?"</p><p>Falco tried to smile reassuringly. "I think so."</p><p>She shuddered, involuntary tears streaming down her cheeks.</p><p>After Eren's departure, the circle of allies splintered off into smaller groups, contemplating what they should do now.</p><p>Hange gritted her teeth. "Damn it."</p><p>Magath looked at her. "Are you giving up?"</p><p>Hange ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. "Well, what the hell are we supposed to do against someone with that kind of power?"</p><p>Magath grimaced, unsure of how to answer.</p><p>Back near the horses Annie shook her head. "I'm done."</p><p>Armin frowned. "Annie…"</p><p>"If Eren was telling the truth...if he spares my father...I have no reason to fight."</p><p>She looked at him sadly. "I know you don't like the idea of a global genocide. I can't say I'm entirely comfortable with it either. But Eren's not wrong. The world wants to erase the people of Paradis, and this is the only way to guarantee their safety in the short and long term."</p><p>"Maybe. But…"</p><p>Armin shook his head hopelessly.</p><p>A short distance away, Jean and Connie were talking quietly.</p><p>"What should we do?" Connie muttered.</p><p>Jean shrugged halfheartedly. "What can we do? If there was a chance we actually could stop Eren, that would be one thing. But with what he can do, it's just not possible. What's the point of trying when we already know we wouldn't accomplish a damn thing?"</p><p>He folded his arms, a resigned expression on his face. "And besides...I can see where Eren is coming from. This really is the only way to both end the cycle of hatred and guarantee the island's safety. Even Zeke's plan, as forward thinking as it was, was still a bit of a gamble, as it rested on the assumption that the threat of the rumbling would be enough to force the world to leave us alone for at least fifty years. And with how technology has been developing, particularly in regards to flying vehicles, there's no way to know for certain if the rumbling would be a sufficient deterrent in the long run."</p><p>After making sure that Gabi was okay, Falco ended up talking quietly with Reiner, while Gabi walked over to Mikasa.</p><p>She looked shyly up at the young Asian woman. "It...it was Mikasa, right?"</p><p>Mikasa looked down at her. "Yes. Are you alright?"</p><p>Gabi smiled weakly. "I'll be fine. But...there's something I think you should know."</p><p>"Oh?"</p><p>Gabi took a deep breath. "When...when Eren was controlling me, I heard everything he said. But...I also glimpsed a couple of his memories."</p><p>Mikasa stiffened. "Really? What...what did you see?"</p><p>Gabi frowned. "Well...everything Eren said was technically true...but the real reason he ended up doing this was because of the Attack Titan. I guess it can see the future."</p><p>Mikasa froze. "What?"</p><p>Gabi waved her hands vaguely. "Four years ago, he saw...all of this. Or at least, glimpses of it. Enough for him to know that he would eventually use the rumbling to destroy the world. And while he initially resisted it, eventually he abandoned all hope and came to believe he had no choice but to pursue this future. And...one of the things that ended up being the deciding factor, along with the world's hostility...was you."</p><p>Mikasa felt a cascade of dread run through her.</p><p>"Me?"</p><p>"Do you remember that question he asked you when you guys went to Marley?"</p><p>Mikasa recalled the memory right away, and the feeling of dread increased.</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Apparently that was one of the moments he'd foreseen. And he was secretly hoping that your answer would be different from what he had seen, that you would prove that at least some of his future memories were wrong, and maybe there was another way. But...your answer matched up perfectly with what he'd seen, convincing him that the future was written in stone."</p><p>The color drained out of Mikasa's face.</p><p>Gabi frowned apologetically. "I'm sorry. I just...I thought you ought to know. And...since Eren's offered to spare us and our families...I can't in good conscience ask you to abandon your home for our sake, when we were trying to destroy that home not that long ago."</p><p>Mikasa barely heard Gabi's last few words, and absently wandered off into the woods, her face white as a sheet and her mind occupied with what she had just learned.</p><p>As she thought back to Eren's hostile behavior at the restaurant, and the horrible things he'd said that he later claimed to have not meant, she couldn't help but wonder if the only reason he'd done those things was because he'd foreseen that moment too, and at that point believed he had no choice but to follow through due to his belief that the future was set in stone.</p><p>She found her mind running through everything that had happened, from the destruction of Liberio, to Sasha's death, to the incident at the restaurant, to the end of the world happening right now, and she realized it was all her fault. Eren clearly didn't want to do any of it, and he'd been looking for some excuse, any excuse, to stop. And if she'd just had the courage to give him an honest answer to his question, she could have given him some hope for the future, and shown him there was another way. And since Gabi had seen it, that moment must have been weighing heavily on Eren's mind, clear evidence that things could have turned out differently if she'd just told the truth. But she had failed him, and now it was too late.</p><p>Mikasa covered her mouth, her hand trembling, and found herself unable to stop the flow of tears any longer.</p><hr/><p>Breakfast the following morning was a silent and uncomfortable affair, with everybody knowing they should discuss what their plan was now, but nobody wanting to be the one to bring it up, knowing what the answer would likely be.</p><p>Eventually Pieck gave in. "So, what are we…"</p><p>Magath held up a hand. "There's no need to discuss things any further."</p><p>He looked at his warriors seriously. "All of you...should accept Eren's offer of sanctuary. There's no point in throwing away your lives for nothing."</p><p>He bowed his head regretfully. "Eren was right. He's a monster, but he's the monster we created. We spent the last century declaring this island to be a paradise for devils, and as a direct result, that devil was born."</p><p>He slowly stood up. "As for me...I'll still go down fighting. I'll go to the harbor alone."</p><p>They all looked at him in disbelief.</p><p>"What?!" Reiner exclaimed.</p><p>"But that's suicide!" Falco protested.</p><p>Magath shrugged. "There's nowhere else for me to go, and I don't want to spend the rest of my life hiding in some remote part of this island."</p><p>His expression became grave. "I only have one order for you all. This is the last order I'll ever give you. Don't follow me. Don't jeopardize the safety of your families for my sake."</p><p>He turned around and began to head for one of the wagons.</p><p>"Wait."</p><p>Magath turned around and saw Onyankapon jogging toward him.</p><p>The dark skinned man nodded firmly. "I'll come with you."</p><p>Armin looked at him in dismay. "Onyankapon…"</p><p>Onyankapon glanced back at Armin. "Just...do me a favor. Tell Eren...to reign in the Yeagerists. Make them understand the severity of what's happened...and do everything you can to make sure it can't ever happen again."</p><p>Armin nodded solemnly. "I will."</p><p>Yelena sighed. "Well, if you two are going to go off and die, I guess I'll come too. Don't have anything better to do."</p><p>Magath, Onyankapon, and Yelena left on one of the wagons, and before long they had disappeared from sight.</p><p>With all the non Eldians gone, the others stood around miserably.</p><p>Jean looked at the ground, feeling a mixture of guilt and relief. He had to admit that he was glad that Eren had stepped in. Now he could say that he had tried to save the world, and only stopped once it became clear that it was impossible.</p><p>He hoped that would be enough to assuage his conscience going forward.</p><p>"Would you all stop sighing?" Levi grumbled irritably. "It's giving me a damn headache."</p><hr/><p>Author's Note: Bonus points if you spotted the Half Life reference. Though it's a lot more obvious then the Undertale reference in the second story was.</p><p>So this is an idea I've had pretty much ever since chapter 127 first dropped. From everything we know about the Founding Titan, it's pretty clear that if Eren wanted to win no matter what, he would. And I think that if he was truly the cold hearted bastard he was pretending to be he would have done something like this. But the truth is that he's not as cold hearted as he'd like to be. He's ruthless enough to actually go through with the full scale rumbling, but he's clearly twisted up with guilt about it, which is why he's left open the possibility of the alliance winning instead of immediately slapping it down, because secretly he wants to be stopped.</p><p>In this scenario Reiner's mother, Annie's father, Pieck's father, Falco's parents, and Gabi's parents would be turned into Colossal Titans, they would make their way to Paradis, and then they would be turned back into humans, where they and the other warriors would be allowed to live out their lives peacefully, though Eren and the others would probably keep an eye on them. As for Armin and Mikasa, personally I think that Armin would be unable to respect Eren anymore after this, even if he understands why Eren did it, while realistically Mikasa would probably forgive him and still want to be with him. Whether Eren would be able to live with the guilt of what he's done, that's a rather interesting discussion to have.</p><p>So, be sure to let me know what you thought of this story by leaving a review, it really is appreciated. Oh, and if anyone wants to turn any of these short stories into a longer one, that's perfectly fine, just be sure to credit where you got the idea. Or don't if you don't want to. But that would be the nice thing to do.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A Brother's Promise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eren and Floch sat silently across from each other in Eren's bedroom. The meeting with Yelena they'd had earlier in the day was still fresh in their minds.</p><p>Floch looked at the ground dismally. "So, are we just going to go along with Zeke's plan?"</p><p>Eren didn't say anything, his face expressionless.</p><p>Floch looked at him with a frown. "Eren?"</p><p>Eren glanced out of the nearby darkened window, and it was another minute before he finally spoke.</p><p>"Back then, you said that only a devil would be able to save us. And I fear that you may have been right."</p><p>Eren returned his gaze to Floch. "We could go along with Zeke's plan, or we could simply let Zeke think that we're going along with his plan. We do need him to unlock the full power of the Founding Titan, but once the power has been awakened it will be up to me to determine how it's used."</p><p>"And how are you going to use it?"</p><p>Eren's eyes darkened. "To destroy everything outside of this island. Every city, every nation, every last man, woman, and child. Nothing and no one will be left."</p><p>Floch's eyes widened, his face going slack with shock.</p><p>Eren leaned back with a sigh. "At least, that's one possibility I've seriously been considering. Hange, Armin and the others keep going on about trying to find a diplomatic solution, but everything I've seen so far indicates that that's a futile endeavor. The hatred the outside world harbors toward us is too deeply ingrained for them to ever hear us out. So that really only leaves us with two options. Either we follow Zeke's plan, or we go with my plan."</p><p>Floch remained silent. The shock had faded from his face, and he was waiting to hear Eren explain himself.</p><p>Eren grimaced. "It's true that Zeke's plan is the most humane, and would result in the least death and suffering. But it would restrict our freedom and rob us of our ability to have children, and at a certain level it's conceding to the world's belief that we are monsters who deserve to die out, something I fundamentally reject. On the other hand, if I use the rumbling to eliminate everything outside of this island, the safety and prosperity of our people would be guaranteed in both the short and long term. But the price for our freedom would be much higher, and the amount of death and suffering would be far greater."</p><p>Eren let out another sigh. "So that's where we are. Two terrible options, each with radically different outcomes. I hate the idea of arranging for our own extinction, and validating the world's belief that we are devils, but if I did the full scale rumbling I would also be validating their belief, though in a different and far worse way. I just... I don't know what I should do. I'm at a crossroads, and I know I have to decide which path I will follow before much longer."</p><p>Eren thought back to his conversation with Historia several weeks ago. He'd almost confessed his plan to her, but in the end his nerve had failed him. But he wanted someone to know and carry this burden as well, and Floch seemed the most likely to keep his secret.</p><p>Eren glanced at Floch, trying to gauge his reaction.</p><p>After contemplating Eren's words for a few minutes, Floch quietly spoke.</p><p>"Perhaps we are devils. But, if that's what it takes for us to survive, then so be it. Whichever plan you decide to go with, I will help you see it through, no matter the cost."</p><p>Eren bowed his head. "...thank you Floch."</p><p>As Floch left for the night, Eren mulled over his future memories, the one secret he still hadn't told anyone. So far everything that had happened had matched up perfectly with what he had foreseen. He was still waiting for a sign that the future was not set in stone, and that at least some of his future memories were wrong or changeable. But if such a sign didn't come soon, he would abandon this small hope, and accept that the full scale rumbling was the only way to save his people.</p><hr/><p>Mikasa jogged toward the edge of the camp, feeling both relieved and annoyed.</p><p>"Eren." She called out, unable to hide her exasperation. "Don't you know that you're the enemy's prime target? Everyone has been searching for you."</p><p>Eren didn't turn around, his gaze still facing forward. He wiped his sleeve against his face before walking toward the nearest tent.</p><p>As they got closer, Mikasa saw two people, an older man and a young boy, and her eyes widened as she recognized the latter.</p><p>"Is that the boy from the market? Did something happen?"</p><p>"Nothing yet." Eren said quietly, his voice slightly hoarse.</p><p>Mikasa glanced at him in confusion. "What do you mean? This is…"</p><p>Eren gestured at the line of tents spanning the length of the camp. "This is where those who lost their homes from the war are living. The same as we were. One day, our everyday lives suddenly ended, and everything was taken away. All of our freedom was stolen from us."</p><p>Mikasa didn't say anything, still not understanding why Eren was drawn to this place.</p><p>Eren slowly turned toward her. "Mikasa...why do you...concern yourself so much with me?"</p><p>Mikasa blinked. "Huh?"</p><p>Eren looked at her, his eyes sadder than she had ever seen them.</p><p>"Is it because you were saved by me as a child? Or is it because I'm family? What am I to you?"</p><p>Mikasa felt an involuntary blush coming onto her cheeks. The unexpected question had taken her completely by surprise, and her first instinct was to say he was family.</p><p>But as she thought it all through, and considered how her feelings for him went beyond just familial love, how he only had a short time left, and how he seemed to be unusually sad about something, she realized that she owed him an honest answer, even if it was rather embarrassing to be suddenly put on the spot like this.</p><p>"...um...you are…"</p><p>She took a deep breath. "You are the most important person in my life. I... I can't imagine a world without you in it…"</p><p>Eren's eyes widened in shock, and he appeared stunned by her confession.</p><p>But before either of them could respond to Mikasa's confession, the older man came up to them carrying two drinks, and spoke to them cheerfully in his native tongue.</p><p>"What?" Mikasa asked uncertainly.</p><p>"Looks like he's trying to make us feel welcomed." Eren said with a small smile.</p><p>A moment later Armin, Jean, Connie, and Sasha arrived, and the six of them ended up joining the refugees inside of their tent, and a night of merriment and much booze drinking followed.</p><p>As the night progressed Mikasa found it harder and harder to think straight, but during her last few moments of lucidity she couldn't help but notice that Eren seemed far happier then he had during the rest of the trip.</p><hr/><p>Zeke glanced at his younger brother, who was leaning against the same wall as him. True to his word, he had come, and had disguised himself, looking very different from how he had looked four years ago. Only by peering at him closely had Zeke been able to tell that he was indeed Eren Yeager.</p><p>Zeke cleared his throat. "First of all, Eren...thank you for acknowledging what I had to say and coming all the way here. What Yelena told you is exactly what I think. Since you have understood it, I wonder if you'll comply."</p><p>Zeke glanced at Eren. "The plan to euthanize Eldia. Will you approve of it?"</p><p>Eren was silent for several moments before speaking.</p><p>"Over the past four years I've gained access to all of Father's memories. Everything he saw, everything he felt. I know you didn't have the best relationship with him, but he regretted how he had treated you, and never once blamed you for what happened, not even in his mind."</p><p>Zeke looked mildly surprised.</p><p>"And he learned from his mistakes. When raising me, he didn't try to force his ideas and plans upon me. It was my mother who would scold me and who tried to keep me in line."</p><p>Eren smiled softly. "She certainly had to work hard, I was quite the handful."</p><p>His smile faded. "The only thing Father ever forced upon me were the Titan powers he had acquired. The Attack Titan he'd been given by the Owl, and the Founding Titan he'd stolen from the Reiss family. Sometimes I resent him for having done that, but if he hadn't given me the power of the Titans, I probably would have died long ago."</p><p>Eren glanced at Zeke. "But as I said, Father didn't treat me the way he treated you. As a result, everything I have done throughout my life has been the result of my own ideas, my own thoughts, and my own decisions."</p><p>Zeke looked at him carefully. "And where have your ideas led you?"</p><p>Eren shifted his gaze toward the wall that surrounded Liberio district. "Growing up, I hated the fact that we were trapped inside the walls, caged off from the rest of the world. And when Wall Maria fell...my mother was devoured by a Titan right before my eyes."</p><p>Zeke frowned.</p><p>"I swore to kill all of the Titans, to get revenge for what they had done, and to finally free humanity from its cage. For years I was driven by this goal, by my anger, my hatred. But over time, things changed. While I had been exposed to the brutal cruelty of this world at a young age, there was still much about it that I was ignorant of."</p><p>Zeke prompted him. "Such as?"</p><p>Eren grimaced. "I believed that people were either good or bad, and that it was easy to distinguish between the two. But after Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt revealed their true colors, I realized it wasn't that simple. I believed that Titans were nothing but evil monsters. But then I found out that they had once been human, and in some ways were just as much victims as the people they consumed. I believed the fate of humanity rested on my shoulders, only to realize that humanity was alive and well outside of the walls, and that everything we had believed for the past 100 years was a lie. At that point, I wasn't sure what I should do. All I knew was that countless people had given their lives for our freedom, and that I had a duty to ensure their sacrifices weren't in vain."</p><p>Eren glanced away. "I'll be perfectly honest, when Yelena told me of your plan, my first instinct was to reject it. We had spent all this time fighting for our freedom, and you wanted us to arrange for our own extinction? How could we agree to such a thing?"</p><p>Zeke tensed slightly, but waited for Eren to finish.</p><p>Eren looked down at his hands. "But then I thought back to the moment when my mother was devoured by a Titan. The Titan that ate her had once been Dina Fritz...your mother."</p><p>Zeke's eyes widened.</p><p>"And in that moment I realized the horrible truth. On the one hand we had my mother, an innocent human being who had done nothing wrong, eaten alive by a monster. And on the other hand, we had your mother, an innocent human being who had only tried to do what she thought was right, turned into a living weapon, doomed to forever wander the lands as a mindless killing machine until the day she died. I hope that no one will ever have to suffer either of these fates ever again."</p><p>Eren closed his hands into fists. "But as long as Eldians exist, Titans will exist. And as long as Titans exist, both of these situations will continue to happen. It's inescapable. And as long as the power of the Titans exist, Eldians will always be feared and exploited, whether by the people of the world, or by other Eldians."</p><p>Eren glanced at Zeke. "I have a duty to the people of Paradis, and a strong desire to protect those I love. But I also recognize that, as holder of the Founding Titan, I have a responsibility toward the future generations. The 145th king was a coward. He claimed he wanted peace, but all he really did was make a temporary truce, ultimately trapping the Eldians on the island behind the walls, and abandoning the Eldians on the continent to be oppressed and exploited by Marley. He neither planned nor cared for the future. I will not be like him."</p><p>Eren faced Zeke and pressed his hand against the wall. "The Eldians who are alive right now have a right to the life they were given. But ultimately you are right. If we want to free the world from the fear of Titans, and give humanity a chance at a better future, then no more Eldians must ever be born. Promise me that you will enable me to use the Founding Titan to protect my people, and I swear to you that I will bring an end to the two thousand years of history dominated by the Titans. Until that day we will continue to advance. Isn't that so, brother?"</p><p>Zeke looked at Eren with pride. While they had lived very different lives, and endured many hardships, they were still able to come to an understanding, and do what needed to be done.</p><p>Zeke nodded. "Yes. Let's do it."</p><p>Zeke reached into his pocket. "Normally this would be the point when we affirm our promise with a handshake, but if we were to touch now it could be bad. In place of that accept this."</p><p>Zeke pulled out a baseball and tossed it to Eren, who deftly caught it. Eren nodded before placing it in his pocket, turning around, and walking away.</p><p>Zeke soon followed suit. As he walked away his steps felt lighter than normal, because for the first time in a long time, he didn't feel quite so alone.</p><p>
  <em>Yes Eren. For sure, we will save everyone.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Armin watched Eren warily. Eren, Mikasa, himself, and the girl who killed Sasha were all seated at the same table at Eren's request after his abrupt and unexpected appearance at the restaurant.</p><p>Of the four of them, Eren was the only one who appeared calm. Mikasa looked rather anxious, and Armin knew he probably did as well, while the girl looked terrified, her eyes glued to Eren's bleeding hand.</p><p>Eren tried to smile reassuringly. "I just wanted to talk to you guys in a quiet place. We can solve Eldia's problems without any further conflict. Hange and the others will be fine, we're just moving them."</p><p>Armin smiled uncertainly. "We were the ones who wanted to talk to you. We just wanted to know what you were thinking. What made you decide on your own to attack Marley, and if Zeke and Yelena have really gotten you on their side."</p><p>Eren shook his head. "I'm not on anyone's side. My concern is the safety and well-being of the people of Paradis."</p><p>"Then why?" Mikasa asked. "Why did you attack Marley? Why are you going along with what Zeke wants? You're not the kind of person who would involve innocent civilians, even if they're from an enemy nation."</p><p>Eren looked at her sadly. "I wish that were true, but you've seen firsthand that isn't the case."</p><p>Mikasa glanced down, nervously fiddling with her scarf.</p><p>Armin leaned forward. "Eren, by attacking Marley, don't you realize that you've put this island in danger? If we had tried to talk things out…"</p><p>Eren sighed impatiently. "Armin, you're being unbelievably naive. You saw at that press conference how the world views us. Even the organizations speaking on behalf of the Eldian people view us as devils. What we have to say doesn't matter. They don't want to listen."</p><p>"…maybe, but…"</p><p>Eren turned toward the table's fourth occupant. "You, what's your name?"</p><p>The girl jumped, her eyes still wide with fear. "G-Gabi."</p><p>Eren inclined his head. "You were there when Willy Tybur gave his speech to the representatives of the world, correct?"</p><p>"Y-yes."</p><p>"He went over the Great Titan War, and the key events of 100 years ago. He talked about the 145th king and his vow of pacifism. But did he tell you that King Fritz took away the memories of the people within the walls, making them forget about their Eldian heritage and the outside world, and leaving them to believe they were the last of humanity in a world overrun by Titans?"</p><p>"N-no...he didn't…"</p><p>"Did he tell you that when Marley's Warriors broke down the wall, hundreds of thousands of our people died because of the Titan onslaught?"</p><p>"No…"</p><p>"And did he tell you that the coup within Paradis and the stealing of the Founding Titan only occurred after Marley's attack?"</p><p>"No…"</p><p>"No, he didn't say any of that. What did he say about us?"</p><p>"...h-he said that y-you were devils, and that you w-would destroy the world with the r-rumbling if you weren't stopped."</p><p>"And what was the last thing he said before I killed him?"</p><p>"...h-he said...I declare war...on the enemies of Paradis island…"</p><p>"And what was the audience's response to this declaration?"</p><p>Gabi swallowed nervously. "...thunderous applause…"</p><p>Eren nodded grimly. "There, you see? Peace was never an option. The world has decided that we are devils, and that we must take the fall for the crimes of the Eldian empire. Our only option is to fight."</p><p>Armin frowned. "Even so, do you really think we can trust Zeke?"</p><p>"I do. In any case, I'm placing my faith in Zeke because I have no other choice."</p><p>Mikasa frowned. "What do you mean?"</p><p>Eren lowered his eyes. "Each of the nine Titans has their own distinct qualities. Four years ago, I discovered what the unique ability of the Attack Titan is. It has the power to see the future."</p><p>Armin, Mikasa, and Gabi were stunned by this revelation.</p><p>"Huh?" Mikasa said.</p><p>"What?" Armin exclaimed.</p><p>Eren folded his arms, and for the first time looked rather nervous.</p><p>"Four years ago, I saw a glimpse of the future. What I saw in that future filled me with horror and despair. I absolutely did not want to do what I had seen my future self doing. But as time went on, I slowly began to accept that pursuing that future was the only way to protect Paradis. However, when we were in Marley, I saw more of the outside world for myself, and met people like that little boy and his family. I know there's millions of innocent people out there like them, just trying to live their lives."</p><p>He turned toward Mikasa. "And then...Mikasa, do you remember that question I asked you?"</p><p>A blush crept onto her cheeks. "Y-yes."</p><p>"I asked you that question partly because I wanted to know the answer, but mostly because I wanted to see if what you said matched up with what I had foreseen. Up until that point, everything I had seen had matched up with the future I had glimpsed four years ago."</p><p>A small smile appeared on Eren's face. "But...your answer was different from what I had seen. It made me realize that the future isn't fixed, it can change based on the choices we make. I had two options going forward. I could either pursue the horrific future I had seen, or I could abandon it and follow Zeke's plan instead."</p><p>Eren reached out and gently grasped Mikasa's hand with his own. "More than anything, I want to build a future where you can be happy...where we can be happy...and I know that if I followed the future I had seen, that could never happen."</p><p>Mikasa's blush intensified, and a small red hue appeared on Eren's face as well.</p><p>Armin glanced at Mikasa uncertainly before returning his gaze to Eren.</p><p>"What did you see in that future?"</p><p>Eren's smile faded. "I... I saw myself using the rumbling to destroy the rest of the world."</p><p>Gabi froze, while Armin stiffened in shock.</p><p>Mikasa's blush faded at once, and her face became pale. "No. You can't have. You wouldn't."</p><p>Eren squeezed her hand. "In order to protect the people I care about, I could have. And I did seriously consider going through with it. But in the end, I...I chose to abandon that path and instead trust in the only viable alternative, which was Zeke's plan."</p><p>Eren looked at Armin seriously. "Do you understand what I mean when I say I have no other choice?"</p><p>Armin swallowed nervously. "What is Zeke's plan?"</p><p>"I'll tell you once you tell me where Zeke is."</p><p>Armin shook his head. "I don't know, only Hange does."</p><p>"I see." Eren let go of Mikasa's hand and stood up. "Well, let's go."</p><p>"Where?"</p><p>Eren smiled softly. "The place where it all started. Shiganshina. You too."</p><p>Gabi flinched and looked at the ground.</p><p>As Eren headed for the door, he looked back at his two childhood friends fondly.</p><p>"And Mikasa...thank you for stopping me."</p><p>A short time later Armin, Mikasa, and Gabi were escorted to a carriage by some of the Yeagerists. As the carriage began to move, Armin felt a strange mix of emotions within him. Part of him felt relieved that he finally knew Eren's motives, and it was moving to know how much he and Mikasa meant to him. At the same time, he felt a chill in his stomach as he considered just how close Eren had come to carrying out a global genocide.</p><p>As he watched Mikasa, Armin could tell she also had mixed feelings about their talk with Eren, though in her case it was clear that the feelings of happiness and relief were winning.</p><p>Gabi, meanwhile, didn't say a single word during the ride, and she looked both unsettled and troubled.</p><hr/><p>Onyankopon dashed into the room, a set of keys dangling from his shaking hands. Jean, Connie, Armin, Mikasa, Niccolo, and the Braus family watched him uncertainly from inside the spacious cell.</p><p>"Onyankopon, what's going on outside?" Jean asked.</p><p>"The Marleyan army attacked from the sky with their airships!" Onyankopon exclaimed as he cycled through the keys, trying to find the right one. "They brought about 500 soldiers, along with the Armored, Jaw, and Cart Titans! And Eren's taking them all on by himself!"</p><p>Mikasa's eyes widened in horror. "What?!"</p><p>Onyankopon nodded grimly. "He's fighting hard, but he can't last forever! If this keeps up, Marley will steal the Founding Titan from us!"</p><p>He found the right key and promptly unlocked the cell door. "Please, you've got to help us defend Eren!"</p><p>Connie grabbed Onyankopon by the collar and slammed him against the wall opposite the cell.</p><p>"You can't be serious!" Connie spat angrily. "You want us to help you after everything you've done?! This is YOUR battle! Do you really think we're going to take orders from a traitor like you?!"</p><p>Onyankopon swallowed nervously. "I-I'm sorry. B-But-"</p><p>Connie tightened his grip. "You guys were acting all nice with us, when all along you were just plotting to take over Paradis!"</p><p>Tears appeared in his eyes, though the anger remained. "I'm tired of being betrayed! By Reiner, Bertolt, Annie, Eren, I'm sick and tired of it damn it! Why the hell should we help Eren just so none of us can ever have kids?!"</p><p>Jean gently pulled Connie's arms off of Onyankopon. "Connie, stop. Let him speak."</p><p>After getting his breath back, Onyankopon looked at them seriously.</p><p>"I honestly didn't know about the wine or the euthanization plan. I truly didn't. I wanted to help the people of Paradis develop so that we could destroy Marley together."</p><p>He spread his hands out. "That's why I abandoned everything and came here, because I believed in this island's future! Children are the future! If the euthanization plan were carried out, what would all of our efforts have been for?!"</p><p>Connie said nothing, but the anger in his face had faded slightly.</p><p>"Please believe me." Onyankopon pleaded.</p><p>Jean stepped forward. "I think you're telling the truth. But, if we help Eren and Zeke, we'll be enabling their euthanization plan."</p><p>Onyankopon grimaced. "We can find a way to stop their plan, but without those two we have no way of defending this island from the world."</p><p>Connie scowled. "Then what are you saying we should do?!"</p><p>"We must show the world the power of the rumbling at least once!" Onyankopon said anxiously.</p><p>Jean turned toward Armin and Mikasa with a frown. "You know, you two have been unusually quiet ever since we got here. You said you talked to Eren, but you haven't told us anything about what he said. From what I know of Eren, it would be extremely unusual for him to agree with this euthanization plan. Yet all the evidence indicates that Eren is complicit with what Zeke wants. Why is that?"</p><p>Mikasa remained silent, and fiddled nervously with her scarf.</p><p>Armin looked at the ground, carefully considering his words.</p><p>"Well...under normal circumstances I don't think Eren would go along with the euthanization plan. But...I think...given the circumstances...I think Eren feels he has no other choice."</p><p>"But why?!" Connie burst out. "Why the hell would he think it's a good idea for us to never have kids?!"</p><p>Armin swallowed nervously. "Part of it might be the fact that the Titans and the Eldians are inescapably linked, and Zeke may have convinced Eren that the gradual extinction of the Eldian race is the only way to free humanity from the Titans. But the real reason Eren is going along with Zeke is because of something he saw after we visited that basement."</p><p>Jean blinked. "Oh?"</p><p>Armin frowned. "He didn't go into many details, but four years ago he discovered the Attack Titan's secret ability. Apparently it has the power to see the future."</p><p>Onyankopon's eyes widened. "Huh?"</p><p>"What?" Connie gasped.</p><p>"Are you serious?" Jean exclaimed.</p><p>Armin nodded. "Yes. And...the future he saw...was one in which he used the Founding Titan to destroy everything outside of this island."</p><p>Jean and Connie were stunned into silence, and the Braus family also had looks of shock on their faces.</p><p>"What?!" Onyankopon shouted in disbelief.</p><p>"Eren then spent the next few years tormented by what he had seen, hoping it wouldn't come to pass. But as things unfolded, and the situation with the outside world seemed more and more hopeless, he started to believe that the future he had seen was the only way to protect this island. But then...something happened when we visited Marley."</p><p>Mikasa blushed involuntarily, and lifted her scarf up to try to hide part of her face.</p><p>Armin hastily continued. "Um...anyways, Eren realized that the future wasn't actually set in stone, and that maybe he didn't have to destroy the outside world. So I'm guessing that Eren latched onto Zeke's plan because he thinks it's the only alternative to...what he was originally going to do."</p><p>Jean glanced at Mikasa curiously before shaking his head.</p><p>"Damn."</p><p>"Shit." Connie muttered. "I mean...I still think the euthanization is kind of fucked up...but compared to that…"</p><p>Onyankopon looked visibly shaken. "Well...I-I'm really glad that Eren changed his mind about...that...but does he honestly think that the only choices are between destroying the outside world and euthanizing the Eldian race?"</p><p>Armin sighed. "Those aren't the only two options, but they are the only two options that would solve the cycle of hatred once and for all in the immediate future. Any other options would carry at least the risk of the cycle repeating in future generations."</p><p>"Are you saying you agree with Zeke?" Onyankopon asked incredulously.</p><p>"No. But it's clear that Eren does. I don't like it, but...I can understand why Eren is doing what he's doing."</p><p>Armin looked at them anxiously. "In any case, we can't let the Founding Titan fall into the hands of Marley."</p><p>Mikasa fiddled with her scarf. Eren had said that he wanted to build a future with her, something she'd always dreamed about. But whenever she imagined a future with Eren, she had always pictured having at least one or two kids with him, something that wasn't compatible with the euthanization plan. However, she knew that having children wasn't necessary to having a happy and fulfilling life, and given the choice between the two plans she had to admit that Zeke's was preferable. As much as it moved her to know how far Eren was willing to go to protect them, she didn't want the blood of millions of people to be shed just to ensure their safety, and she was immensely glad that she had persuaded Eren to back off from his radical plan, albeit in an indirect way.</p><p>She looked at them all seriously. "Let's go."</p><hr/><p>Eren and Zeke looked around the vast sandy realm uncertainly.</p><p>"What is this place?" Eren wondered.</p><p>Zeke looked around thoughtfully. "I think this is what others have called 'paths'. I saw it once before, when I was close to death…"</p><p>Zeke glanced at Eren with a frown. "Speaking of which, why didn't Gabi shoot you? I mean, I'm glad she didn't, but she had a perfect shot, and I know for a fact that her aim is excellent."</p><p>Eren shrugged. "Yesterday I revealed my true intentions to Armin and Mikasa, and Gabi happened to be in the same room. I guess something I said must have caused her to hesitate."</p><p>"I see. Well, if I had to guess, I'd say that over there is the coordinate."</p><p>Zeke pointed toward the main feature of the otherwise desolate landscape, a massive pillar of light that reached up into the sky and splintered off into countless smaller branches.</p><p>Standing next to the pillar was a short figure that appeared to be a young girl in rags.</p><p>Eren frowned. "Who is that?"</p><p>Zeke looked at her curiously. "It must be the Founder Ymir."</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>"Who else could it be?"</p><p>Eren took a step forward. "Well, there's only one way to find out."</p><p>He walked a few paces before realizing that Zeke hadn't moved from his initial position.</p><p>Zeke looked down. "I can't move."</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>Zeke tried lifting his feet again to no avail. "It must be the vow renouncing war that restricts those with royal blood."</p><p>Zeke looked at Eren seriously. "As I suspected, only you can move here freely. So, it's up to you Eren. You must ask the Founder to implement our euthanasia plan."</p><p>Eren frowned. "Sterilizing...all Eldians…"</p><p>"Eren…"</p><p>Eren shook his head. "Not yet."</p><p>Zeke's eyes widened. "What?"</p><p>Eren began walking toward the pillar. "Don't worry brother. I will keep my promise. But there's something I need to take care of first."</p><p>Zeke glanced at the pillar anxiously. "What is it?"</p><p>"It's something I saw in my father's memories. I just need to make sure that the past plays out the way it's supposed to."</p><p>Zeke felt slightly uneasy, but in the end he decided that he could trust Eren.</p><p>A short time later, Eren stood before the girl in rags.</p><p>Eren held out his hand. "Founder Ymir, please lend me your power."</p><p>A tendril of light shot out of the pillar, and a moment later Eren found himself inside his father's memories. He sped through most of them until he got to the most important part, and made sure that his father went through with the plan to kill the Reiss family.</p><p>After it was over, Grisha slowly walked away from his Titan and the ruins of the chapel.</p><p>Grisha fell to the ground. "I...I killed them all...even the little children...are you satisfied with this Eren?!"</p><p>"Yes." Eren said quietly.</p><p>Tears appeared in Grisha's eyes. "Was there really no other way?"</p><p>Eren shook his head helplessly. "I don't know. All I can tell you is that this is what happened, and in order for me to get to where I am now, I needed to make sure that the past played out the same way it did before."</p><p>Grisha bowed his head. "With this...will the Eldian people really be saved? For something that terrifying to happen…"</p><p>"You can relax, dad. I won't let that future come to pass. Zeke and I have found another way."</p><p>Grisha's eyes widened. "Zeke? You've met Zeke?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Does...does he hate me?"</p><p>"No. Not anymore."</p><p>Grisha looked immensely relieved. "Well...best of luck to you both. Goodbye."</p><p>With that done, Eren left his father's memories, and found himself back in the paths.</p><p>Eren looked down at the young girl in concern. "Founder Ymir...have you been here since 2000 years ago?"</p><p>She remained silent, her eyes closed.</p><p>Eren knelt down in front of her. "Why won't you say anything?"</p><p>She still said nothing.</p><p>Eren reached out and grasped her hand, and all at once felt a spark of electricity shooting up his arm. The next moment, a large number of Ymir's memories poured into his mind like a torrent of water. Most of them were from her life in the real world, while the rest were a random patchwork of the vast amount of time she'd spent in the paths realm.</p><p>Ymir stiffened, as the connection had worked both ways, and she had seen most of Eren's memories as well.</p><p>Eren looked at her sadly. "All this time...you've been suffering here all alone. You poor thing. But it's okay now. You don't have to be a slave any longer. There's one thing I need you to do for me, and after that, you are free. You don't have to stay here any longer. You don't have to follow orders anymore. Lend me your strength, and help me end it."</p><p>Ymir began to cry, and all at once the pillar started to glow. A beam shot out from it that connected Ymir, Eren, and Zeke.</p><hr/><p>Hange looked down at Levi in disbelief.</p><p>"What?" She whispered. "Levi's wounds..."</p><p>She'd gone to the trouble of treating Levi's injuries as best as she had been able, even though she'd had her doubts that he would live for very long. But now, all of the wounds had mysteriously vanished without a trace.</p><p>Levi let out a low groan. "Ugh...what...where are we?"</p><p>Hange let out a small smile. "I'm not entirely sure."</p><p>Levi slowly sat up. "That bearded bastard...he set off the thunder spear...but…"</p><p>Levi looked down at his body as if expecting to see some grave injury, an expectation that Hange knew was justified, which made their sudden absence all the more baffling.</p><p>"You were in pretty bad shape, but a moment ago your wounds mysteriously healed."</p><p>Levi looked at her sharply. "What? How is that even-"</p><p>
  <strong>Hear me, subjects of Ymir.</strong>
</p><p>Hange and Levi jumped, and looked around in shock.</p><p>"Eren?" Hange said uncertainly.</p><p>
  <strong>My name is Eren Yeager. I am using the power of the Founding Titan to speak to you all. The hardening of Wall Maria has come undone, and all the Titans trapped within have begun to march. My objective is to protect the people of Paradis island, the place where I was born and raised. However, the world longs for the annihilation of the people of Paradis. I reject this wish. And so, the Wall Titans shall trample every coastline in the world, eliminating every village, town, and city that exists near the sea as a warning to those who seek to destroy us. Those who flee inland will be spared. But if anyone interferes with Paradis at any time in the next fifty years, I will release the Titans within Wall Rose and Wall Sina, and they will trample all land outside of this island underfoot until all humans living out there have been eliminated from this world.</strong>
</p><hr/><p>Mr. Leonhart fell to the ground in astonishment, completely oblivious of the groceries he had dropped.</p><p>The nearby stall owner was looking around wildly. "Did you hear that?"</p><p>"Yes. I did." Mr. Leonhart murmured.</p><p>He frowned, his mind racing.</p><p>
  <em>That message...so Willy Tybur was partly right. But it's strange. My body feels rather...odd. And my leg...the pain's gone...how is that possible?</em>
</p><hr/><p>The long line of Wall Titans were slowly marching their way south, accompanied by the gargantuan figure of Eren's Founding Titan form, which was using its ribs to slowly crawl along the ground like a giant skeletal centipede.</p><p>This spectacle was currently being observed by Magath and Pieck, the latter still in her Titan form, from a reasonably safe distance.</p><p>Magath's gaze was on the airships in the distance. "Looks like the airships have left without us after seeing the rumbling. All things considered, they probably made the right call."</p><p>Magath glanced at Pieck. "That vision you saw, you think that every Eldian in the world saw it?"</p><p>Pieck nodded. "Yeah."</p><p>Magath scowled. "Then it appears that Gabi's intel was correct. Eren backed off from doing a full scale rumbling thanks to Zeke. But it's because of that traitor that this partial rumbling is still happening. Damn it."</p><p>Pieck shrugged. "Well, at least the world isn't actually ending. We'll live to fight another day."</p><p>"Yeah." Magath frowned. "But the question is, what is their plan? Surely they must know that the rumbling won't diminish the hatred the world feels toward this island, it will only increase it. Granted, it will buy them time, but time for what?"</p><p>Suddenly on their right they saw a fifteen meter Titan slowly jogging toward them, two people in the palm of its hand. It took Magath a moment to realize that he was looking at the Armored Titan, except that its armor was missing.</p><p>"What the…?" Magath exclaimed.</p><p>The Armored Titan collapsed to the ground, and Reiner emerged from the nape. Gabi had been supporting an unconscious Falco, and now that he had exited his Titan Reiner came over and picked up the young man. Reiner then carried Falco over to the Cart Titan, with Gabi by his side.</p><p>Pieck looked at them in relief. "Thank goodness you're alright."</p><p>Magath looked around grimly. "Where's Galliard?"</p><p>Reiner looked down at Falco. "He's dead. After Zeke screamed, Falco was turned into a Titan. Porco let himself be devoured so that Falco could resume his human form."</p><p>Pieck's face wilted in sadness, while Magath bowed his head.</p><p>Reiner closed his eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop Eren."</p><p>Magath let out a long sigh. "Well, we did our best, and things aren't as dire as we feared. We fought well, and given the circumstances I don't think we could have done any better."</p><p>Gabi was silent, thinking back to that last crucial moment, when Eren was sprinting toward Zeke, and she'd inexplicably hesitated despite having a gun.</p><p>
  <em>Why? Why didn't I take the shot?</em>
</p><p>Pieck frowned. "Do you know what happened to Zeke?</p><p>Reiner nodded. "Yeah. He and Eren have taken control of the Founding Titan. Eren is controlling the Wall Titans, while Zeke is controlling the pure Titans he created. He could have captured us, but he let us go."</p><p>"How generous." Pieck scoffed.</p><p>She glanced at Magath. "What should we do sir?"</p><p>He looked at the Founding Titan, which was now further south but still very visible.</p><p>"Let's head south. We'll lay low for a while, and once the rumbling is over, we'll use the Cart Titan to cross the sea."</p><p>Reiner, Falco, and Gabi got on board the Cart Titan, while Pieck reentered the nape, and the subdued Warrior unit slowly made their way south, being careful to stay out of the way of the rumbling.</p><hr/><p>Levi and Hange arrived back at Shiganshina several hours after the battle had ended.</p><p>As they neared the military headquarters, they soon spotted a familiar face.</p><p>Floch looked at them in shock. "Oh. So you guys are still alive. Well that's good I suppose."</p><p>Floch appeared nervous, and Levi had to admit he wasn't very happy with the young Yeagerist, but he wasn't going to let himself get distracted.</p><p>"Where's Zeke?" Levi asked coldly.</p><p>Floch shrugged. "Not here. Commander Pixis is inside, he can probably answer your questions."</p><p>A moment later, Hange and Levi met with Pixis and Niles on one of the upper floors.</p><p>"What happened here?" Hange asked.</p><p>Pixis sighed. "What didn't happen? Marley used their airships to launch a surprise attack, and attempted to capture the Founding Titan using the Jaw, Cart, and Armored Titans. However, Zeke arrived, and with his Beast Titan turned the tide against the enemy."</p><p>Pixis grimaced. "But then he was shot by the Cart Titan and severely wounded, and so he ended up screaming and turning those of us who had consumed his spinal fluid into Titans to fight the Marleyan soldiers. Eventually Eren and Zeke reached each other and activated the Founding Titan."</p><p>Hange nodded. "Yes, we heard the message Eren sent."</p><p>Pixis folded his arms. "Apparently Eren and Zeke both now have full access to the Founding Titan's power. Eren is using it to control the wall Titans, and after getting the battle under control Zeke used it to turn us back into humans."</p><p>Levi leaned forward. "Where is Zeke?"</p><p>Pixis glanced out a nearby window. "He left about an hour ago with Armin, Mikasa, Connie, Jean, and Yelena for Ragako."</p><p>Levi frowned. "Ragako? Why?"</p><p>"I guess it's to return Connie's mother to human form."</p><p>Levi felt slightly stunned. Maybe all that time he'd spent trying to make Zeke understand the gravity of what he'd done had actually had some effect. And maybe, just maybe, that meant that Zeke had at least a little bit of decency in him after all.</p><p>He still planned to kill him though.</p><p>Hange glanced back and forth between Pixis and Niles. "What's going on with the chain of command? Who's in charge?"</p><p>Pixis smiled ruefully. "That's a good question. Since both Eren and Zeke now control the Founding Titan, we don't really have any choice but to go along with them. However, Zeke didn't express any interest in assuming command, and Eren's gone, so at the moment we've reached an uneasy truce with the Yeagerists. I'm technically in charge at the moment, with the understanding that I'll defer to Eren when he turns up."</p><p>At that moment Onyankopon entered the room, and his face lit up.</p><p>"Hange! Levi! You're alive! Thank goodness, I thought you two were goners."</p><p>Hange smiled. "Well, you can't get rid of us that easily."</p><p>Pixis frowned. "The only thing I'm wondering is what Eren and Zeke's secret plan was. They've activated the rumbling, which is obviously key to preventing the world from attacking us in the near future. Beyond that, they seem to have altered the bodies of every Eldian in some way, as all of the soldiers that were injured during the battle have mysteriously recovered."</p><p>Hange tilted her head thoughtfully. "Yes, I did notice that. Because of his confrontation with Zeke Levi had some pretty bad wounds, yet when the Founding Titan activated all of his wounds mysteriously vanished."</p><p>She stiffened. "Now that I think about it…"</p><p>She reached up and removed her eye patch, and discovered that her left eye was good as new.</p><p>She blinked a few times in shock. "Wow."</p><p>Niles looked at her in disbelief. "Unbelievable."</p><p>Pixis rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting. So, the rumbling was the first part of the plan, healing and restoring the bodies of the Eldians must have been the second part. But there must have been something else to it."</p><p>Onyankopon grimaced. "I know what it is. Yelena told us about Zeke's plan. He...Zeke's plan was to use the Founding Titan to render every Eldian sterile. That way no more Eldians will be born, and gradually over time the Eldian race will die off, and take the power of the Titans with them without requiring any bloodshed."</p><p>A stunned silence followed this proclamation.</p><p>"What?" Hange whispered.</p><p>Niles scowled. "So I'm guessing our enhanced and newly healed bodies were given to us in order to make up for the fact that we can't have children any more."</p><p>Pixis frowned. "But why would Eren agree to something like this?"</p><p>"Armin told us why." Onyankopon said quietly. "Apparently the Attack Titan has the power to see the future."</p><p>Hange looked at him sharply. "Really?"</p><p>"And...four years ago, Eren saw a future where he used the Founding Titan to destroy everything outside of this island. Obviously this future was highly distressing to him, and he ended up following along with Zeke's plan because he came to believe it was the only alternative to the global genocide he'd foreseen."</p><p>Hange pressed a hand to her forehead. "Dear god…"</p><p>Niles shook his head. "So instead of committing a genocide against the world, he's committing a genocide against his own people. Granted it's much more humane than what Marley would have done, and of course the notion of massacring everyone outside of this island is appalling. But...does he really think it's the best choice for our people? And does he think the people will be happy with the fact that they can't have children anymore?"</p><p>Pixis sighed. "Back when we were still ignorant of how the world truly worked, we longed for the day that the Titans would disappear. After all the death and suffering they had caused, who wouldn't wish for the Titans to be gone? Of course, we now know that as long as the Eldian race exists, Titans will also exist. So I suppose there is a certain logic to euthanizing the Eldian race, as that really is the only way to get rid of the Titans for good. At the very least I now understand why Yelena said that Zeke was trying to save the world, when on the surface his plan seemed to only benefit this island."</p><p>Levi stood up. "To be perfectly honest, I don't really care anymore. If that bearded bastard is headed to Ragako, that's where I'm going."</p><p>Hange stood up as well. "Hold on, I'm coming with you. I have a few things I'd like to ask Zeke and the others."</p><p>"Wait, let me come too!" Onyankopon said.</p><hr/><p>It was about a day later when Hange, Levi, and Onyankopon arrived at the abandoned ruins of Ragako.</p><p>As they rode into the town, they soon spotted the others near where the abnormal Titan that had been Connie's mom had been kept.</p><p>Connie was talking quietly with his mother, tears of sadness and relief streaming down both of their faces as he explained what had happened, and what she had missed. Armin, Mikasa, and Jean stood a short distance away, their expressions solemn.</p><p>And furthest away from the group was Zeke and Yelena, who were the only ones that had noticed the new arrivals.</p><p>Levi glared down at the shifter. "There you are."</p><p>Zeke turned toward Levi with a resigned look on his face. "So you've come. I can't say I'm surprised, though I would have preferred to never see you again."</p><p>Levi unsheathed his swords. "Don't worry, I'll make sure this meeting is our last."</p><p>"Wait!" Yelena protested, but Zeke motioned at her to stop before she could get between him and the murderous captain.</p><p>Zeke looked at Levi calmly. "Go ahead and kill me if you want. It doesn't matter. I've done what I set out to do. The rest I can leave to my brother."</p><p>"Hold on Levi."</p><p>Hange looked at the elder Yeager brother seriously. "Zeke...why did Eren go along with this?"</p><p>Zeke smiled softly. "When Eren and I made contact, we were flung into the coordinate. While we were there I ended up seeing all of his memories, and the process that led him to agreeing to my plan. It's true that he originally intended to betray me, and use the Founding Titan to destroy everything outside of this island. But in the end his conscience won out, and he did the right thing, both for the Eldian people, and humanity as a whole."</p><p>Zeke rubbed the back of his head. "Of course, he's still going a bit further with the rumbling then I originally intended, but he doesn't want to take any chances given how hostile the outside world is. And of course his proclamation that he would trample every coastline was a slight exaggeration, as there are some parts of the world that will be left alone, mainly smaller and weaker nations that pose no real threat, and of course Hizuru will be left untouched."</p><p>Onyankopon looked at his leader sadly. "Zeke...do you really think that the euthanization plan is what's best for the Eldian people? Do you really think that eradicating an entire race is justified?"</p><p>"I can see where you're coming from Onyankopon, and normally no, I wouldn't think that eliminating an entire race was a good idea. But the Eldians aren't just another race of people, they are a race of people that are intrinsically linked with the power of the Titans, a power that has been used to commit countless atrocities throughout human history. The world understandably fears this power, as this power has been abused, both by Eldia and Marley. Eventually the world will try to eradicate the Eldian race, and even if they don't, Eldians will continue to be both persecuted and exploited for their Titan powers."</p><p>Levi scowled. "And I suppose you're just going to gloss over all the exploitation and abuse you've done, are you?"</p><p>Zeke sighed. "I understand that you're angry with me Levi, and I can't deny that your anger is justified. But I have achieved my dream, and I have no regrets."</p><p>Zeke spread out his hands. "If your petty revenge is so important to you, by all means go ahead."</p><p>The next second Zeke's head fell to the ground, severed from Zeke's body with one swing of Levi's blade.</p><hr/><p>Zeke looked around. He was once more in the paths.</p><p>He glanced behind him. "I told you I would be back before long. Run along now Ymir. You're free."</p><p>Ymir bowed her head, and promptly vanished, leaving Zeke behind to take her place in the paths.</p><p>As Zeke walked back toward the coordinate, he smiled as he contemplated all that had happened. Eren now had the full power of the Founding Titan in the real world, while he had the full power of the coordinate in the paths realm. Eren had fulfilled his promise of carrying out the euthanasia plan, and making it so that from that day onward no Eldian child would ever again be conceived. Now he would fulfill his promise, and do everything he could to ensure that all the Eldian people in the world would live long and happy lives before they died peacefully of old age.</p><p>He knelt down in front of the pillar. Ymir had already laid the groundwork, as she had cleansed and healed the bodies of all the subjects of Ymir, which would automatically improve their quality of life.</p><p>Now he would expand on it. He would continue to shield the Eldians from harm for as long as they lived, and he had already undone the curse of Ymir, so that those who held the power of the Titans wouldn't die before their time. He would also continue to regulate the Titan powers, and build the Titan bodies as necessary, though he hoped that their use in the future would be more limited.</p><p>Above all he would watch over Eren and Mikasa, and do everything in his power to protect them and enable their lifelong happiness.</p><p>Zeke smiled. "The hardest part is over now Eren. You can leave the rest to your big brother."</p><hr/><p>Author's Note: So obviously this was a what if based on the idea of what if Eren actually did agree to Zeke's plan. Now, I know some people will say that Eren would never go along with the euthanization plan, but there's a few things to keep in mind.</p><p>While it's true that Eren thought the euthanization plan was messed up, he also thought that his own plan was really messed up, and was torn up with guilt about it. So I don't think it would have been that difficult to push Eren into abandoning his plan and following Zeke's instead. And even if you still disagree, well, that's the whole point of a what if, to explore what might have happened if things had played out differently.</p><p>I know I left Annie's fate ambiguous, but you can probably fill in the blanks yourself given what happened in canon. She'll escape and make her way back to her father, possibly with help from Armin and the others.</p><p>As for why Eren is destroying everything on the coasts, well, Yelena tried to convince him that just destroying the allied forces would be enough to cause huge financial issues for all the major nations, but Eren isn't convinced, so he's causing massive destruction to their infrastructure in such a way that will cause massive problems for the foreseeable future while also giving a way for most of the civilians to escape. Of course, the loss of all these cities and towns probably would still lead to many people dying even if they got out in time, but hey, it's better than the full scale rumbling.</p><p>I don't really like Zeke, and I think his reasons for why he's doing what he's doing are incredibly wrongheaded, since it all basically boils down to a desire to get back at his dad. But setting that aside, it's undeniable that his plan is much more humane then Eren's, and with him now being in paths and healing the Eldian people to ensure they have a good life it's really not too bad all things considered. Though it probably sucks for Reiner.</p><p>Reiner: With the curse of Ymir, I can finally die.</p><p>Zeke: Sorry, that's not a thing anymore.</p><p>Reiner: Shit. Well, our mission is over, so now I can commit suicide.</p><p>Zeke: Actually, I can just keep healing you indefinitely.</p><p>Reiner: FUCK</p><p>Anyways, be sure to let me know what you thought of this story.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Ymir's Cure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ymir stared down at Porco, her expression resigned and miserable. She was chained to an elevated platform in a dimly lit underground room. Porco held in his hand the Titan serum. Behind him stood a row of Marleyan officers, including Magath.</p><p>The time had come for the transfer. In just a moment Porco would eat her, and take back the power of the Jaw Titan that she had stolen from his brother.</p><p>Porco readied the syringe.</p><p>She closed her eyes.</p><p>
  <em>I'm sorry Historia…</em>
</p><p>"VAIT!"</p><p>Her eyes shot open at the unexpected yell, while Porco and the others turned around to see who had yelled.</p><p>Magath scowled. "Ah, there you are Dr. Ludwig. Nice of you to finally join us."</p><p>Ludwig held out his hand. "Don't carry out ze transfer just yet!"</p><p>Magath pinched the bridge of his nose. "What, is this about that experimental procedure you wanted to try? I've already told you several times, it's not worth the risk, and your request has been denied. Now stop bringing it up."</p><p>Ludwig smirked. "Actually, my request has been approved."</p><p>Magath frowned. "What? By whom?"</p><p>Ludwig pulled out an official looking letter, and handed it to Magath. Magath took it, and after reaching the bottom of the page his face rapidly paled.</p><p>Ludwig casually adjusted his glasses. "Of course, if you still zink ze procedure is a vaste of time, zen by all means-"</p><p>"N-no, of course not." Magath hastily interjected. "Gentlemen, I'm sorry, we'll have to stop things for today. Take her back to her cell."</p><p>Utterly nonplussed, the officers began to disperse, most of them leaving, while a few went to unchain Ymir.</p><p>Porco looked at them in confusion. "Huh? What's going on?"</p><p>Ymir frowned. <em>Your guess is as good as mine.</em></p><hr/><p>A few days later, Ymir and Porco were taken to an operating room with a lot of sophisticated and rather dangerous looking equipment.</p><p>Ludwig surveyed them with an imperious smirk. "Now you're probably vondering vat zis is all about. Vell, based on some experiments I've done in ze past, I believe zat it may be possible to transfer ze Titan powers vithout killing ze previous holder. Zat is vhat zis operation is all about."</p><p>Ymir and Porco glanced at each other. At least now they knew what was going on.</p><p>"Of course, zis is uncharted territory, so ve don't yet know vat all ze side effects vill be. But I zink it vill be a preferable alternative to being eaten alive. Now zen, let's get started!"</p><hr/><p>A few hours after the operation, Galliard had demonstrated that he had successfully inherited the Jaw Titan.</p><p>At around the same time, Ymir slowly woke up with a low groan. Several Marleyan officers were watching her cautiously, including Magath.</p><p>Ludwig smiled. "Ah, you see? Success. How are you feeling?"</p><p>Ymir rubbed the back of her head gingerly. "A little achy, but basically fine I guess."</p><p>Ludwig nodded. "Good, good. Zere, you see? I knew vat I vas doing."</p><p>Magath frowned. "Hmm, so it would seem. Now the question is, what do we do with her?"</p><p>One of the Marleyan officers eyed her dismissively. "We should just kill her."</p><p>Ludwig looked scandalized. "No you imbecile, you can't do zat! She's a valuable specimen! I'll need her alive in order to study ze long term effects of ze procedure."</p><p>The officer glared at the doctor. "What did you just-"</p><p>"He raises a valid point." Magath interjected. "In any case, we don't need to make a decision right away. Take her back to her cell."</p><hr/><p>Ymir spent the next month or so in the same cell. It had a toilet and a sink, and she was provided with regular if unexciting meals, but she was getting pretty tired of it.</p><p>Her only regular visitor was Dr. Ludwig, who occasionally examined her and asked questions about how she was feeling to determine the ongoing effects of the procedure that had removed the Titan power from her. At other times he would just prattle on about various scientific topics that she didn't really understand or care about. But she was grateful for the company, and since he was the one keeping her alive she did her best to be polite, even if he did grate on her nerves at times.</p><p>One day, though, he came in looking more serious than usual.</p><p>She felt her back stiffen. "Something wrong?"</p><p>Ludwig shrugged. "Vell, ve just got vord from ze Varrior unit. Zey've returned from Paradis. Ze mission vas a failure. Not only did zey fail to secure ze Founding Titan, zey also lost ze Colossal Titan."</p><p>Ymir blinked in surprise. Perhaps the island truly did have a future.</p><p>"Reiner has taken full responsibility for ze failure, and since ve've just discovered a method for transferring ze Titan powers vithout killing ze previous holder, Reiner vill be stripped of his Titan, and ze Armored vill be passed on to ze next Varrior in line, vhich I believe is a young man named Colt. Of course, Reiner vill still remain an honorary Marleyan for all his hard vork and dedication, and he's already been assigned a new task once ze transfer occurs: he'll be responsible for keeping an eye on you. But as long as you behave yourself and keep your head down you von't have anyzing to vorry about."</p><p>Ymir let out a sigh of relief. "So I finally get to leave this shithole?"</p><p>Ludwig nodded. "I'm afraid you'll have to stay here for a few more days, but zen yes, you vill be moved to a more pleasant lodging vithin ze internment zone."</p><p>Ludwig extended his hand through the bars. "Zhank you so much, your cooperation really is appreciated."</p><p>He shook her hand, and then promptly turned around and left.</p><p>As soon as he was gone, Ymir discreetly looked at the note that Ludwig had slipped her.</p><p>
  <em>Dear Ymir,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Reiner tells me that the one person you care the most about in the world is someone called Historia, who lives on Paradis. From what I can gather you would very much like to be reunited with her someday, correct? If you help me, I believe that can be arranged.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I have a goal, a dream I wish to achieve, something that matters to me more than my loyalty to Marley. After the failure at Shiganshina, I must now consider new strategies for fulfilling my goal. It will take time, but if I can count on your cooperation, and discretion, you can count on me to one day return you to that island.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sincerely,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Zeke</em>
</p><p>After making sure she understood the letter, Ymir crumpled it up and swallowed it, destroying the evidence. She then sat down and contemplated her next move.</p><p>
  <em>Wait for me Historia. I promise you, I will come back.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Author's Note: So this is another idea I've had for quite a while. You might have noticed that I borrowed some ideas from my story Darkest Before the Dawn, most notably the cure I came up with there. The basic premise of this story is what would have happened if somehow Ymir didn't die, and what would the repercussions of that be? And I think the cure I came up with for DBTD works well for this purpose, though in this scenario the cure is discovered much earlier. Obviously this is just a short story, but there's definitely a lot of potential with this premise, and I might expand on it more someday. Or I might not. I don't know.</p><p>By the way, the letter Ludwig handed to Magath was from the Tybur family. After all, they would be very interested in a procedure that lets one transfer the Titan powers without killing the previous holder, seeing as they have the Warhammer Titan.</p><p>Anyways, be sure to let me know what you thought.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Live For Yourself</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ymir tried not to look as Reiner restrained Eren. She understood Eren's anger, but he was too ignorant and naive.</p><p>She glanced at Bertolt. "Can you explain to me why we're leaving early?"</p><p>Instead of answering her, he responded with a question of his own. "Ymir, when you changed back into a human, did you have any memory of the person you ate?"</p><p>Ymir averted her gaze. "No, not really. We're talking about something that happened five years ago. But the way you're asking I'm guessing that it was someone you knew?"</p><p>Bertolt's silence was answer enough.</p><p>Her eyes became melancholy. "I see. Then I'm sorry for not remembering."</p><p>"Hey, it's not your fault that you don't. It was the same for Reiner and me."</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>Bertolt nodded. "Eren doesn't remember either."</p><p>"Is that how it works?"</p><p>Ymir glanced back at him. "You hold that against me?"</p><p>Bertolt frowned. "I don't think so. I mean, I don't know. I suppose I have to believe you didn't want to eat anyone. How long were you wandering outside the walls?"</p><p>"Oh, about sixty years. Hell on earth. Every day was like waking up into a nightmare."</p><p>While she knew Eren's anger toward the Warriors was justified, for her part she couldn't help but feel grateful to them, as it was thanks to their friend that her nightmare had finally come to an end. This gratitude, as well as regret for what she had taken from them, was another part of why she had sided with them.</p><p>Reiner had successfully strangled Eren until he passed out, and was now carrying him toward the edge of the branch.</p><p>As he walked by, Eren's stump brushed against Ymir's arm, and all at once she felt a spark of electricity shoot through her body.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Falco was standing in a dimly lit basement, feeling utterly confused and terrified.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>On his left sat Mr. Braun, the man he had looked up to for years, while on his right sat Eren Yeager, the person who was supposedly their most dangerous enemy. And yet…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eren looked at the ground with a somber expression. "I still remember the day the wall came down. On that day, my mother was eaten by a Titan right in front of me. So many people were devoured by the Titans. So many people lost their lives and homes. I didn't understand why this had happened."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eren looked up. "So tell me Reiner, why was my mother eaten by a Titan?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His voice contained no anger or resentment, just simple curiosity.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Reiner looked at the ground. "Because we broke down the wall."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eren prompted him. "Why did you break down the wall?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Reiner winced. "We broke down the wall so that we could infiltrate Wall Rose and monitor the movements of the King of the walls in order to complete our mission."</em>
</p><p>"<em>And what was your mission?"</em></p><p>
  <em>Reiner looked off to the side. "Our mission was to retrieve the Founding Titan. To save the world."</em>
</p><p>"<em>I see." Eren said quietly. "So, you were on a mission to save the world. Well then, I guess you didn't have a choice."</em></p><p>
  <em>Reiner closed his eyes. "Back then, you swore that you would make sure I died the most painful death possible. You...you came for that, right?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eren was silent for a moment before absently scratching his ear.</em>
</p><p>"<em>Ah. Did I say that? Please, forget I said that."</em></p><p>
  <em>Reiner looked at him sharply. "What?"</em>
</p><p>"<em>It's true that I saw everyone on the other side of the ocean as an enemy. But then I crossed the ocean, and slept under the same roof as the enemy, and ate the same food as the enemy. Just like you did, Reiner."</em></p><p>
  <em>Reiner's eyes were wide in shock and disbelief, not expecting to hear such understanding words from Eren.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Falco tilted his head in confusion. "Huh?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eren looked at him seriously. "All of us, all humans, on both sides of the ocean, we are all the same. But you had convinced yourselves that you were different, that you were special, and that those of us who lived behind the walls were evil devils that needed to be destroyed."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Falco looked away uncomfortably.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eren returned his gaze to Reiner. "You were just ignorant children, and these falsehoods were beaten into you by ignorant adults. Under those circumstances, in that environment, during that time period, what else could you have done? How else could you have turned out? What other choice could you have made? Yes Reiner? This whole time, this has been so painful for you. I think I can finally understand…"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>All at once Reiner fell off the chair and collapsed to the ground, prostrating himself before Eren.</em>
</p><p>"<em>No! You're wrong Eren!"</em></p><p>
  <em>Falco was stunned. He'd never seen Mr. Braun like this.</em>
</p><p>"<em>On that day, on the day Marcel was eaten, Annie and Bertolt wanted to abort the mission, they wanted to go back! But I...I persuaded them not to! I persuade them to keep going! Yes, it was partly out of self preservation, but…"</em></p><p>
  <em>Reiner screwed his eyes shut in anguish. "I wanted to be a hero! I wanted to be someone important! I wanted to be a big brother figure that others could look up to and count on!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Reiner looked up at Eren, tears shining in his eyes. "And that, that has nothing to do with the circumstances or time period in which I was raised! I was wrong! It's my fault your mother was eaten by a Titan!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Reiner shut his eyes once more. "I...I can't stand this anymore. Please...kill me...I just want to disappear."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eren stared down at Reiner for a long time before slowly rising up out of the chair.</em>
</p><p>"<em>Stand up Reiner."</em></p><p>"<em>I can't."</em></p><p>
  <em>Eren extended his hand, which was bleeding from a small cut.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Reiner looked up at him in shock. "Eren…"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eren pulled Reiner to his feet, and Falco hesitantly took a few steps back as the two men clasped hands.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eren looked off to the side, his expression resigned.</em>
</p><p>"<em>You and I are the same Reiner. I think we've both been this way ever since we were born."</em></p><p>"<em>What?" Reiner whispered.</em></p><p>
  <em>Eren's eyes began to glow. "I'll just keep moving forward until all my enemies are destroyed."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A spark emanated from Eren's hand, and the next second the room was engulfed in light.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Ymir's breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening in shock at the scene she'd just seen.</p><p>"Ymir? Something wrong?"</p><p>Bertolt was looking at her in concern.</p><p>"N-no." She stammered. "It's nothing."</p><p>Reiner readied his ODM gear, Eren secured on his back. "Let's go."</p><p>A moment later Reiner had jumped off and was using his ODM gear to propel himself through the forest, while Bertolt was close behind him with Ymir clinging to his back.</p><p>Reiner was saying something, but Ymir wasn't paying any attention, still rattled by what she had just seen.</p><p>
  <em>Was that...was that the future? Or was it just an echo of what might be? Was it a memory? I don't know what it was, but I saw it after touching Eren. It must have something to do with the Titan powers. He's a naive idiot...but if what I saw was true, or at least possible...then maybe there's still hope for him once he understands the true nature of this world.</em>
</p><p>Ymir noticed the swarm of Titans below them, and once again wondered why they hadn't waited until sundown to leave.</p><p>Then she spotted the smoke signals behind them through the trees.</p><p>Her eyes widened. <em>The Scouts have come to rescue us?</em></p><p>As she faced forward, she realized she had a decision she needed to make. She could either stick with Reiner and Bertolt, or she could throw in her lot with Eren and the Scouts.</p><p>
  <em>Either way is a gamble. But…</em>
</p><p>As she thought it through, she recalled how Reiner was losing his mind because of the guilt of what he'd done, while Eren was firm in his anger. And as she thought of that, she remembered two key moments of that strange vision she'd seen.</p><p>
  <em>I just want to disappear.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'll just keep moving forward until all my enemies are destroyed.</em>
</p><p>In that moment, she realized that, when push came to shove, Eren had more resolve than Reiner. Eren was capable of sympathizing with the enemy without letting it cloud his judgment, and he would do whatever it took to win. This was not the case with Reiner.</p><p>So when it came to deciding who to trust Historia's future with…</p><p>Ymir whispered into Bertolt's ear. "I'm sorry."</p><p>She then raised up her arm and hit him on the head with her elbow as hard as she could.</p><hr/><p>The Scouts were charging directly at the forest on horseback, doing their best to avoid the Titans right in front of them.</p><p>Somewhere within the forest, a bolt of lightning erupted.</p><p>Mikasa gasped. "That light."</p><p>Armin nodded grimly. "You saw it too, huh? It's coming from the forest. I think someone's transforming into a Titan!"</p><p>Erwin frowned. "We're out of time. Soldiers disperse! The enemy have assumed Titan form! Find Eren and get him out of there!"</p><p>The Scouts scattered to avoid the line of Titans, while several of the MPs that had come with them were not so lucky.</p><p>Jean grimaced as he saw a soldier get eaten. "Another MP…"</p><p>"Battle is not our objective!" Erwin shouted. "Locate, recover, and retreat!"</p><p>As they entered the forest, Hannes called to his subordinate. "Round up the horses!"</p><p>"Right away sir!"</p><p>The Scout and Garrison soldiers then used their ODM gear to launch into the air and began to soar through the trees.</p><p>Hannes raised his voice. "First thing we do is pinpoint the enemy and tell the others! They're fleeing through the woods so stay sharp! Break!"</p><p>They then dispersed, trying to cover as much ground as possible.</p><p>Mikasa looked around desperately. <em>Eren!</em></p><p><em>Where are you?!</em> Armin said to himself.</p><p>Suddenly, the soldiers heard in the distance a furious voice bellowing two words at the top of their lungs.</p><p>"YOU BITCH!"</p><p>"That's Reiner!" Jean exclaimed. "This way!"</p><p>As the Scouts got closer to the source of the sound, they were abruptly greeted with an unexpected sight.</p><p>One of the veterans brought out their blades. "Shit, a Titan! I'll take care of it!"</p><p>"No, wait a second!" Connie protested. "It's actually Ymir! This is her Titan form, she's one of the people they took!"</p><p>Connie landed next to her on the tree. "What happened? Is Eren okay?"</p><p>In response, Ymir opened her mouth, revealing Eren inside.</p><p>"Eren!" Mikasa cried, swooping over and retrieving him.</p><p>"He's okay!" Armin exclaimed in relief.</p><p>As soon as Mikasa extracted Eren, Ymir closed her mouth and partially emerged from the nape. Connie, Jean, Sasha, and the others were slightly taken aback by the sight of her real body merged with the Titan flesh.</p><p>She looked at them anxiously. "We need to go. I think I managed to knock Bertolt out, but I'm not entirely sure, and Reiner is really pissed off."</p><p>High above the forest floor, on one of the highest branches of one of the taller trees, Reiner was holding Bertolt's unconscious form.</p><p>His face was twisted in anger. <em>Damn you Ymir! Did she change her mind? Or was she lying from the start?</em></p><p>If he wasn't holding Bertolt he would have punched the tree in frustration.</p><p>
  <em>Shit!</em>
</p><p>He desperately wanted to chase after Ymir and get Eren back, but he knew that under the circumstances that was a bad idea. While Ymir most likely didn't know about it, the Jaw Titan had the power to tear right through the Armored Titan's armor, and the forest environment would bolster its speed and agility, putting him at a severe disadvantage in a fight. Add in the Scouts to the equation, and trying to go after Ymir to get Eren back would be tantamount to suicide.</p><p>Plus, in order to do it he would have to leave Bertolt unguarded, something he really didn't want to do. And even if he was reckless enough to do it anyway, if he fought and lost, then either Bertolt would be captured too, or he would be stranded with no way of getting back home.</p><p>As he thought it through, Reiner realized that at this point, they had no choice but to concede that they had lost this round.</p><p>
  <em>Damn it. I just hope Annie is okay. Hopefully she'll have gotten word of what happened and gone into hiding before they can figure out her connection to us.</em>
</p><p>He gritted his teeth. <em>Ymir…</em></p><hr/><p>The journey back to the wall was fairly uneventful, and thanks to Ymir's Titan they were able to cut down the Titans that got in their way with relative ease.</p><p>As soon as they reached the wall, the elevators got to work hauling up the horses and soldiers.</p><p>Hannes called out. "Get the doctors, we've got some injured here!"</p><p>Mikasa and Armin were watching Eren closely as he was placed onto the wall.</p><p>He let out a low groan. "Ugh…"</p><p>Armin smiled. "He's awake."</p><p>Mikasa squeezed his hand. "Eren."</p><p>Eren looked at them in confusion. "Armin? Mikasa? What happened? We're back on the wall?"</p><p>Armin nodded. "Ymir rescued you. I guess she caught Reiner and Bertolt by surprise."</p><p>Eren blinked in surprise. "She did?"</p><p>As he took in this information, and thought back to what had happened in the forest, he realized that her joining them must have been a ruse. As he realized this, he immediately felt bad for doubting her.</p><p>Historia hugged the taller girl tightly. "Thank goodness you're okay."</p><p>Ymir returned the hug with a smile, the Titan markings still on her face. "Yeah. Sorry for worrying you."</p><p>Erwin stepped toward them, his eyes fixed on Ymir. "Thank you for your help. I doubt we would have been able to rescue Eren so quickly and with relatively few casualties without your assistance. We're in your debt."</p><p>Ymir smiled cautiously. "You're welcome."</p><p>His eyes narrowed. "Having said that, you've got some explaining to do."</p><p>She averted her gaze "Yes, I suppose I do."</p><p>"It's too late for any major questioning tonight, but there is one question I need answered. Are there other humans out there beyond the walls?"</p><p>Erwin's expression betrayed nothing, but Ymir could tell that he understood the significance of this question. She could also tell that her other friends in the 104th were listening in, waiting to hear what the answer would be.</p><p>Historia looked up at her anxiously.</p><p>Ymir took a deep breath before responding with a single but unfathomably important word.</p><p>"Yes."</p><hr/><p>Author's Note: And here's another Ymir centered story I've had rattling around in my head for a while. Now I know some people wanted me to do a story where at the end of Season 2 Ymir sided with the Scouts instead of Reiner and Bertolt. The problem is that I don't think it would really make sense. Despite her abrasive and rude personality (which I think is at least partially her overcompensating for having been extremely submissive and polite during her time with the cult) she is at heart an incredibly selfless person. And after Bertolt's confession I think her siding with them was inevitable given her selfless nature. She knew that Historia, Eren, and the others would be okay, while Reiner and Bertolt were about to die, and that almost nobody was on their side, which coupled with her guilt over Marcel made the outcome pretty clear.</p><p>So yeah, I think if Ymir was going to side with the Scouts and ditch Reiner and Bertolt, it would have to be at an earlier point in order for it to be plausible. And in this scenario, where she saw a glimpse of a future with a more mature Eren and a Reiner who wants to die, that was enough to push her to side with the Scouts. Plus that moment is one of my absolute favorites in all of AoT, as I think it does an excellent job of showcasing Eren and Reiner's true nature, and the depth of the unusual bond they share.</p><p>This story is obviously being left open, and maybe I'll expand on it more someday, though I can't make any promises. Though it would make for an interesting story, I can see why Isayama didn't go for this route. After all, if Ymir was there to help them the Scouts would have had a much easier time, and we can't have that now can we?</p><p>Anyways, be sure to let me know what you think. Not sure what the next story will be, but I have a few ideas I'm considering. Though I think it's safe to say that this will be the last of the Ymir centered stories for now.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Leader of the Warriors</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Time seemed to slow down.</p><p>The Titan that had unexpectedly emerged from the ground was glaring down at Reiner. Without hesitation, Marcel rushed forward and pushed Reiner out of the way.</p><p>In doing so, however, he'd placed himself directly in danger, and the Titan promptly scooped him up and raised him to its mouth.</p><p>His eyes widened in terror as he entered the dark cavity, but just before the teeth closed on him he bit down on his tongue in a desperate attempt to save himself.</p><p>At once light engulfed his body, and the head and neck of the Titan were obliterated in the explosion that accompanied the Jaw Titan's transformation, killing it instantly.</p><p>The explosion also flung Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie back, sending them sprawling to the ground.</p><p>The Jaw Titan crawled toward him, and Marcel partially emerged from the nape.</p><p>"Are you guys okay?"</p><p>The three of them nodded, still shaken from what had happened.</p><p>After recovering from the close call, the three young warriors gathered up what supplies they could salvage, and climbed onto the Jaw Titan's back. After making sure his fellow Warriors were secured, Marcel darted forward and began the long journey toward the walls.</p><hr/><p>Reiner and Bertolt were busy working in the fields, clearing out weeds and uprooting dead trees. It was tedious, boring, and sometimes frustrating work, but it allowed them to earn their keep and remain under the radar while they gathered information.</p><p>After their close call, the mission had initially gone according to plan. Marcel had taken them about halfway to the walls, and then Annie had taken over and used her ability to call Titans to summon a horde that chased after them. Bertolt then destroyed the outer gate, while Reiner destroyed the inner gate, and the four of them had then blended in with the flood of refugees pouring into Wall Rose.</p><p>From there, however, there had been several surprises. The biggest one was that the people of the walls believed that they were the last of humanity, and seemingly had no knowledge of the outside world at all. The Warriors had concluded that the Founder must have erased their memories a century ago, which only added to the feelings of guilt and remorse they felt once they saw the effects that breaking down Wall Maria had had on these people.</p><p>But in the end it didn't matter. They had a mission to complete, and they would see it through to the end.</p><p>Toward the end of the day, Reiner and Bertolt spotted Marcel and Annie returning, and were relieved to see that their two friends were okay.</p><p>Using the Jaw Titan it was relatively easy for them to cross over into Wall Sina undetected and back again, and Marcel and Annie had done so multiple times in order to explore and investigate.</p><p>Reiner looked at them seriously. "Did you guys find out anything new?"</p><p>Marcel frowned. "Well, the King Fritz on the throne is definitely a figurehead. The true royal bloodline must be one of the noble families operating from the shadows, though we have no idea which one."</p><p>Bertolt rubbed his forehead. "If we could get close to the king's family, we might be able to find out who the real royals are."</p><p>Annie looked at the ground dully. "And how are we supposed to do that? Get hired as servants or something? Or maybe I could get married to one of their sons."</p><p>Bertolt shifted uncomfortably. "Erm, that's not…"</p><p>Annie shook her head. "Of course, I doubt that would actually work. They would probably have rigorous background checks for any new servants that we would undoubtedly fail, and I don't have the charm to seduce a man anyway."</p><p>"That's not true!" Bertolt protested.</p><p>Annie blinked. "Um...thanks?"</p><p>Reiner grimaced. "With those options out, there's only one way for us to get close to the royal family. We join the military so that we can investigate the interior military police."</p><p>Annie sighed. "You do realize it's taken us almost two years just to find this out, right? Are we just supposed to spend several more years playing soldier?"</p><p>Marcel looked off to the side thoughtfully. "That might not be necessary. The 145th king left behind a warning a century ago that if the peace of the walls was ever disturbed he would unleash all the wall Titans and use them to trample the world. Yet it's been almost two years since Wall Maria fell, and as far as we can tell the Founding Titan has done nothing. This corroborates with the intel we got from the Tybur family indicating that the true royal family is bound by some kind of vow of pacifism."</p><p>Annie raised her hands impatiently. "Then why don't we just destroy Wall Rose and Wall Sina and be done with it?"</p><p>Reiner frowned. "But if we do that we could force the Founding Titan to reveal itself. All it would take would be one scream, and the world would be doomed."</p><p>Marcel nodded. "Reiner's right. We can't be hasty. At the same time, if the Founding Titan is truly in an impotent state, there's no need for us to be overly cautious either. When you consider the fact that the Founder did nothing after the fall of Wall Maria, and the fact that the government sent over 250,000 of the refugees out to die instead of forcing the upper classes to share more of their resources, and I think that it's safe to assume that the vow of pacifism is indeed real."</p><p>Bertolt glanced at him uncertainly. "Then what should we do?"</p><p>Marcel's expression became grim. "We destroy Trost, the southernmost district of Wall Rose."</p><p>The others looked at him in shock.</p><p>"If the Founding Titan has any real power left it won't be able to ignore this. After we destroy Trost, we'll travel to the capital Mitras, and then wait a week or two. During that time the military will be concentrating their forces just outside of Trost, expecting us to break down that inner gate too. If the Founder doesn't respond to the attack, then I think it will be safe to conclude that it poses no real threat. And after we've determined that it's no threat, while the bulk of their military forces are in the south, we'll attack Mitras and corner the fake King Fritz and his court. I imagine the threat of being eaten by a Titan will be very effective at getting answers, and we can force them to tell us who the true royal family is, and where they are. And once we know that, between the four of us we'll be able to find and capture the Founding Titan, and finally go home."</p><p>Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie were surprised, but they had to admit that they were impressed by this bold plan, and were once more grateful to have Marcel as their leader.</p><hr/><p>Author's Note: So here's what I think might have happened if Marcel didn't die. While I love Attack on Titan, it does have some things that don't quite make sense. I mean, Reiner, Annie, and Bertolt joined the cadet corp so that they could join the MPs and discreetly find the Founding Titan and thus avoid incurring its wrath, but then they just decide after graduating to go ahead and destroy Wall Rose anyway, officially making the three years they spent with the cadets a complete waste of time. So here, instead of joining the cadet corp, the four warriors under Marcel's leadership are taking a more proactive approach, since if the Founding Titan is effectively powerless due to the vow renouncing war there's no reason to be cautious.</p><p>I'm leaving it open ended for now, but I already have some interesting ideas for how things might play out, so this is another idea I might expand on more someday. Still, I wanted to get at least the barebones of it out there in some form whether I expand on it further or not.</p><p>Speaking of things that don't quite make sense, 138. 137 was kind of stupid, but at least I understood it. But this...I...just...huh? What? The fuck did I just read? I...really?</p><p>Anyways, be sure to let me know what you thought. While I am open to suggestions for other What If scenarios, I'd also appreciate your thoughts about the actual story.</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Defying Fate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"What am I to you?"</p><p>The words came out of his mouth automatically as he looked down at Mikasa, feeling resigned to what he knew was coming.</p><p>When he first received his future memories at that ceremony, and saw what he would do, and what he would become, he'd been horrified. Surely that wasn't the only way. There had to be something else, some other means that his people would be allowed to live in peace, some way to get the world to leave them alone. Surely he didn't have to become the worst mass murderer in all of human history in order to ensure his people's safety.</p><p>Surely.</p><p>But as things unfolded, it only became clearer how hopeless their situation with the outside world truly was. The only country that was even willing to talk to them was Hizuru, and even then it was only because they had something to gain from it. All the others were seemingly content to think of them as evil devils. After all, Paradis had served as a useful scapegoat for the past century, why change that now?</p><p>But what had pressed down on him even more than the geopolitical situation was his future memories. As the years passed, one by one they'd come to pass, each happening exactly as he had seen them when he'd kissed Historia's hand.</p><p>That moment with the boy had been no exception, playing out exactly as he'd foreseen. Even when he tried to alter the outcome, even when he tried to leave that boy behind to whatever fate those men had in mind for him, he hadn't been able to. Just like Reiner, he had been unable to stop himself from acting the part of the hero, knowing full well he would one day murder the person he was saving.</p><p>And now, here he was, asking Mikasa what he meant to her, and she would tell him that he was just family, unable to be honest about her true feelings. And then, like clockwork, they would be interrupted by the boy's father, and then their friends, and he would have no choice but to keep following the awful path that had been laid out before him until the horrible end…</p><p>"I...I love you."</p><p>Eren froze, and Mikasa's face came into sharp focus.</p><p>"What?" He breathed, certain he had misheard.</p><p>Mikasa's cheeks were very red, but she repeated herself. "I love you. And not just as family. But...but as something more."</p><p>Eren's eyes widened, and it felt as though a dreadful weight had been abruptly lifted off of him.</p><p>Maybe the future <em>wasn't</em> written in stone after all.</p><p>Before he knew what he was doing, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.</p><p>Mikasa let out a squeak, clearly not expecting that, but after getting over her initial surprise she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her in close, his hands on her waist, savoring the feeling of holding her.</p><p>After a moment, they broke apart. Mikasa looked flustered, and Eren had to admit he did too, but the joy he was feeling far outweighed any awkwardness.</p><p>He rubbed her arms. "Mikasa...if you could have anything in the world right now...what would make you most happy?"</p><p>She looked down, her face still very red. "Um...well...if I could have anything...if I were being completely honest...I'd like to spend your last four years with you, just the two of us."</p><p>"I see." Eren smiled, then began to pull on her hands. "Well then, let's go."</p><p>She blinked. "Go? Go where?"</p><p>"Away. Somewhere far away. There's a railway station to the south of here, and I've still got some money on me. We'll find someplace remote on the continent to settle down and do exactly what you just said. Just the two of us."</p><p>Her eyes widened in shock. "Oh. But, what about-"</p><p>"I know. But...I love you too Mikasa. I'm sorry I wasted so much time dancing around this. But not anymore. I just want to live my last few years in peace. Please."</p><p>"...okay."</p><p>And with that, their path is decided.</p><p>As Eren led her away, he felt as though he were floating. Yes, there would still be some regrets, yes there would still be some bloodshed, and there would be consequences for abandoning everything. But right then, as he held the hand of the girl he loved more than anyone else, he didn't care.</p><p>He wouldn't have to become the monster he'd seen in his memories, and he would forever love Mikasa for diverting him from that awful fate.</p><hr/><p>Armin stared down at the letter, his hands trembling, his stomach twisting into knots.</p><p>Every time he thought things couldn't get worse, they did.</p><p>It had been several months since their trip to Marley, and Armin found it hard to believe that at the start of that trip he'd felt happy, optimistic even. He supposed the novelty of the new sights and sounds of the outside world, and all the interesting technology, food, and people they'd seen had distracted him from their situation.</p><p>Looking back, he should have known something was wrong. Eren had been acting off the entire time, as though he was only half aware of his surroundings, while his mind was occupied by something else.</p><p>And yet, even knowing that, he still couldn't quite believe it.</p><p>The first sign of trouble had come earlier that day, when they'd seen the blatant hostility the Marleyan citizens had toward a refugee child. If that was how they treated refugees, how much worse must they perceive the island devils?</p><p>Things only got worse at the conference the following day. They'd hoped they would be able to speak to the organization that advocated for the well being of the Eldian people. But their hopes had been dashed when it became clear that even the people who defended Eldians thought the islanders were evil devils.</p><p>But the worst part of the trip came when they realized that the worst possible thing had happened: Eren and Mikasa had run away.</p><p>They'd first noticed Eren had disappeared the night before. When Mikasa left to find him, and then also failed to reappear, they assumed that something might have happened to both of them. But when they found some witnesses who had seen them kissing, their worry vanished and was replaced with happiness for their friends. After all, everyone knew how close those two were, so what was wrong with them finally acknowledging and expressing their feelings?</p><p>They were slightly concerned when they didn't turn up by the end of the night, but after Levi suggested that they might have gotten a hotel room for...certain activities...they once again stopped worrying, and went to bed that night convinced that the pair of them would reappear in the morning.</p><p>But the morning came and went, and there was still no sign of them. And when they went looking for them, they eventually came across a Mid-eastern priest and learned the horrifying truth: Eren and Mikasa had gotten married, hopped onto a train, and could be anywhere on the continent by then.</p><p>They were gone.</p><p>At first Armin had been convinced that it had all been an impulsive mistake on their part, and that Eren and Mikasa would come to their senses soon enough. He fully expected them to turn back up at the Kiyomi residence, or on Paradis after stealing a boat, not too long after the rest of the Scouts returned to the island.</p><p>But as the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months, it became clear that they weren't coming back.</p><p>They didn't have the manpower to try to find them on the continent, and while Kiyomi had discreetly sent some of her agents to search for the pair of them, they hadn't had any luck or found any leads at all.</p><p>Which led to the letter that Armin was holding in his trembling hands, his eyes burning with unshed tears as he was filled with despair and fear.</p><p>The letter was from Kiyomi, and while it was very polite, professional, and complimentary, the message was clear: Hizuru was withdrawing its support from Paradis.</p><p>And reading between the lines, it was fairly obvious that they were going to go to Marley and tell them that they had lost the Founding Titan.</p><p>It said that they would keep Zeke's involvement a secret, but considering that Armin wasn't sure if they could trust Zeke that was such a small comfort as to be entirely meaningless.</p><p>Armin could sort of understand where Hizuru was coming from. The only reason they'd been interested in helping Paradis was because of Kiyomi's connection to Mikasa, and because they held the Founding Titan, and the various threats and opportunities that came with that.</p><p>But with Eren and Mikasa gone, both of those benefits had left with them, and now Hizuru was taking the safest bet by siding with Marley.</p><p>Armin let the letter slip from his fingers and float to the ground.</p><p>How could they do this? How?! Didn't they know that without the Founding Titan the island was virtually defenseless?! Did they not care about what happened to their people?!</p><p>Did they not care about what happened to <em>him</em>?!</p><p>Armin's head fell into his hands, tears leaking out of his eyes. He felt angry and hurt and afraid. He couldn't believe that he had meant so little to them that they would abandon him to this nightmare.</p><p>He may be the God of destruction, but that counted for little in the face of the threats lining up against the island.</p><p>The only things that had prevented Marley from launching a full scale invasion had been the Founding Titan, and the fear of the rumbling that came with it, the abundance of pure Titans on the island, and their various wars with other nations. All of those obstacles were now gone.</p><p>And if the latest information from Zeke was correct, the Tybur family was about to rally the leaders of all the major nations in the world into a global coalition against Paradis.</p><p>Armin squeezed his eyes shut in a vain attempt to stem the flow of tears.</p><p>
  <em>What on earth are we going to do?</em>
</p><hr/><p>The devilish silhouette appeared through the red curtain like a shadowy demon, it's greedy hands reaching out and grasping the air. On the stage below, Willy Tybur was addressing the crowd, explaining the dangerous threat that Eren Yeager posed to the entire world.</p><p>Reiner watched the speech with a grim frown, knowing it was all bullshit. He'd been one of the few people who'd been privy to it, but a reliable source close to the Tybur family had revealed what was going on with the island. Apparently they had been discreetly trying to find a diplomatic way of dealing with the rest of the world. But after this had gone nowhere, it seemed that the holder of the Founding Titan, Eren Yeager, had disappeared, along with another member of the Scouts, Mikasa.</p><p>Reiner was surprised to hear this, as Eren hadn't struck him as the type to run away. But it had been four years. Maybe after learning the truth about the outside world, and learning that he had an expiration date in the not too distant future, it had all become too much for him, and so he and Mikasa had run off together.</p><p>Whatever the reason, Paradis had lost the Founding Titan, and while Marley had discreetly sent some covert agents to search for Eren and Mikasa (though the odds of actually finding them were pretty slim) they had been very careful to make sure this information did not reach the general public.</p><p>Because after the conflict with the Mid Eastern allies, Marley's image with the international community wasn't looking too good. So in order to restore people's faith in them, and to unite the various nations, they needed a common cause, a common threat. That threat was Paradis island.</p><p>And the only way they could get the world to rally behind Marley against Paradis was if they lied, and pretended that Paradis still had the Founding Titan, and was thus a real and imminent danger to the rest of them.</p><p>As Willy Tybur's speech went on, he brought up the threat of the rumbling, and how it could be unleashed by Eren at any time.</p><p>Reiner had to admit that Eren seemed like someone who would be capable of unleashing the rumbling. He'd meant it when he'd said that Eren was the last person in the world who should have that kind of power, and if he had still been with Paradis, the threat Willy Tybur was presenting to them could have been very real.</p><p>But with Eren gone, it was just another lie meant to bolster the world into action.</p><p>And judging by the reactions from the crowd, Reiner could tell that it was working.</p><p>"I declare war on the enemies of Paradis island!"</p><p>The crowd burst into applause, and Reiner belated joined in, even if he couldn't agree in the slightest.</p><p>Without the Founding Titan, Paradis didn't stand a chance, and knowing that an island full of innocent people was going to be slaughtered to satisfy the world's bloodthirsty need for a scapegoat made him feel rather sick.</p><hr/><p>Paradis received word about Willy Tybur's speech shortly after it happened from Zeke, and they were informed that about half of the major nations in the world had joined hands with Marley in its coalition against them. It would take several months for them to figure out the logistics and gather their forces, but once they did, the invasion would begin.</p><p>A few weeks before the invasion took place, Hange, Levi, Armin, Connie, Jean, Sasha, Floch, and many other Scouts met in their headquarters at the port. Everyone looked grim and resigned, and not a single smile could be seen.</p><p>Hange lightly touched the map that had been laid out on the table in the center of the room.</p><p>"Okay, so if the intel we got from Zeke is accurate, the invasion force won't go straight for our port near the southern tip of the island."</p><p>She moved her hand. "Instead it will land on this stretch of shore on the southwest side of the island. Most of their forces believe that we still have the Founding Titan, and so will stick together as much as possible so that they can have extra concentrated firepower if the Wall Titans make an appearance. We can use this to our advantage. We won't be able to stop them from landing, as we have nothing that could counter the firepower from all those ships."</p><p>She tapped several trees on the map. "But once their forces move inland they'll have to pass through or at least by several forested areas. Our ODM gear and their unfamiliarity with the terrain will allow us to engage in hit and run tactics, especially at night."</p><p>The Scouts grimaced, knowing exactly what kind of hit and run tactics she was referring to.</p><p>Toward the side of the room were several modified dart guns full of Titan serum. Since the Marleyan army distinguished Eldian soldiers by forcing them to wear an armband, it provided a nice marker for them to know which soldiers could be turned into weapons against their fellows. So all they would need to do would be to swoop in, shoot darts into every soldier they saw wearing an armband, and then retreat and leave the enemy to sort things out amongst themselves.</p><p>It was a low and rather scummy tactic, but if the numbers that Zeke had provided them were accurate, they had no choice but to do whatever it took to kill the enemy soldiers, as they simply didn't have the manpower to make a more "noble" strategy viable.</p><p>Hange shifted her finger along the ocean on the map. "Once the ships have dropped off the bulk of their forces on the southwestern side of the island, they'll head for the port and attack it. While most of the Scouts will be engaged in slowing down their soldiers, Armin will use the Colossal Titan to destroy as much of the fleet as he can when they reach the port."</p><p>While the Colossal Titan would be able to destroy some of the ships, he wouldn't be able to destroy them all, and so would have to retreat shortly after transforming or risk getting killed by the naval bombardment.</p><p>At the same time that the Scouts would be responsible for harassing and delaying the enemy in the relatively untamed southern territories, the Garrison had already set themselves up at Wall Maria for when the invading forces arrived at the walls.</p><p>Shiganshina and the southern parts of Wall Maria had been evacuated, but the seriousness of the invasion had been downplayed in order to avoid a panic by the civilians.</p><p>One of the newer Scouts turned to Hange seriously. "Commander, be honest with us. Can we stop them?"</p><p>Hange stared at the map for a long time before answering.</p><p>"No. We can slow them down and make them pay for every inch. But in the end their sheer numbers and superior weaponry will win out."</p><p>She ran her fingers through her hair anxiously. "Zeke mentioned something about a plan he had to halt the advance early on, but he was incredibly vague about it, indicating that either he's not sure if he can pull it off, or it wouldn't make much of a difference even if he could."</p><p>Levi scowled. "And that's assuming the bastard is really on our side, something I doubt."</p><p>Hange placed both of her hands on the table, her gaze glued to the image of the port depicted on the map.</p><p>"The smartest tactical move would be to surrender or retreat. But neither of those are an option for us. They won't accept our surrender. They've already decided that we're devils, and they intend to kill us all indiscriminately. And where could we possibly retreat to? A handful of people could run off and blend into the masses of people on the continent. But we have more than a million people on this island. There's no way we could move them all to a safer place. We don't have the infrastructure or manpower to pull it off, and even if we did, the world would quickly be able to figure out where all the people of Paradis had gone, and go after them again."</p><p>An uncomfortable silence swept the room, and though nobody said it out loud, everyone's minds went to Eren and Mikasa, the ones who had abandoned them.</p><p>Armin looked away.</p><p>Hange pushed herself off the table and looked at them all grimly. "Even if it's futile, we have no choice but to fight to the bitter end."</p><hr/><p>The day the Great Allied Forces arrived on the island began quite dramatically. Countless columns of smoke appeared over the horizon, and before long more than a hundred ships came into view.</p><p>From a distant forest, well away from the beach, Levi and Hange were watching with a pair of binoculars.</p><p>Hange grimaced. "So, it looks like Zeke was telling the truth, both about where they would invade, and the kind of numbers they had."</p><p>Levi absently kicked a nearby root. "Like that really helps us."</p><p>With no enemy in sight, the ships reached the shore uncontested, and deposited countless soldiers onto the beach. The first ones to land immediately began setting up camp, a base from which they could proceed into the interior, while other soldiers continued to arrive from the ships.</p><p>As Levi watched them pour onto the beach, he could tell that the soldiers definitely numbered in at least the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, which was not reassuring at all.</p><p>He'd known how grim their chances were, but it was still unpleasant to see it confirmed so blatantly firsthand.</p><p>As Pieck walked into the camp that had been set up for her and the other Warriors, Pieck couldn't help but admire the impressive size of the coalition.</p><p>For the first time in human history, many nations from varying cultural and regional backgrounds were working together for a common cause, with Marley at the helm, once again taking the fight to the island devils.</p><p>What was more, most of the Marleyan army consisted of Eldians. Once their victory over the island devils was secured, the world would be more likely to accept the good Eldians, and no longer see them as a threat.</p><p>Pieck felt a twinge of guilt, since they had lied about the island having the Founding Titan, and they knew how little of a chance the islanders stood without it. Still, there was nothing else that could be done. It was the island's fate to be destroyed, to rid the world of the last remnants of the Eldian empire.</p><p>In the end it was all for the greater good.</p><p>Pieck glanced around the camp. In addition to herself, Zeke, Porco, and Lara Tybur were also there. The only Titan of theirs not present was Reiner. He'd seemed incredibly reluctant to go back to the island, and they needed one Titan to stay behind in Marley just in case something happened, and so he ended up being the one to remain on the continent.</p><p>Gabi, Falco, Udo, and Zofia were also not present, as Zeke had insisted that they had gotten more than enough combat experience in the recent conflict with the Mid East Allies, and they weren't really needed.</p><p>Lara Tybur was there to show that the Tybur family was willing to put its money where its mouth was and be more proactive in the world, and so for the first time in a century the Warhammer Titan would be used in war.</p><p>It would take some time for all the soldiers to arrive on the shore, and there wasn't much for her to do in the meantime. So Pieck enjoyed the calm breeze passing through the air, and took a moment to relax.</p><p>She noticed that Zeke looked slightly tense, but she figured it was probably due to his PTSD from that unfortunate encounter with the Ackerman four years ago.</p><p>It was nothing to worry about.</p><p>Several hours later, the ships had finally finished depositing the soldiers onto the shore. The camp was now much bigger and bustling with activity, as preparations were made before they would begin to march inland the following morning.</p><p>The camp was divided loosely by the nations the soldiers came from, while the Eldian soldiers were segregated from the rest, and made to do most of the work in unloading and setting up equipment and weapons.</p><p>Zeke was reading a book near the very edge of the camp, while Porco was quietly discussing something with Lara Tybur.</p><p>Pieck was sitting next to the members of the panzer unit, laughing and joking like old times. It was nice to be out of her Titan form, though she knew she'd have to assume it before long.</p><p>Carlo turned toward Pieck, his face slightly flushed. "Hey, um, Pieck? Could you help me with something?"</p><p>Pieck looked at him with a kind smile. "Sure. What is it?"</p><p>He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "My girlfriend's birthday is coming up, a-and I was wondering if you had any ideas about what she might like me to get her."</p><p>Pieck chuckled softly. "Well, let's see. From what you've told me about her, I think she'd most appreciate…"</p><p>Pieck trailed off as she noticed something strange.</p><p>Zeke was running away from the camp as fast as he could.</p><p>Porco and Lara had also noticed this, and were staring at him in confusion.</p><p>Carlo spotted Zeke's retreating form and frowned.</p><p>"What is he-"</p><p>Then, without warning, Zeke screamed at the top of his lungs.</p><p>Pieck's eyes shot wide open, and an icy block of dread formed in her chest.</p><p>She'd heard that scream before numerous times. Which meant…</p><p>Levi and Hange stared at the beach in utter shock. One moment the enemy camp had been operating normally, then suddenly one section of the camp was engulfed by a massive light so big and bright it was like a second sun had appeared on the beach.</p><p>The wind from the enormous explosion sent shock waves in every direction, blowing over tents, knocking down equipment, scattering supplies, and sweeping countless soldiers off their feet and onto the ground.</p><p>As the light faded, they could see what had happened.</p><p>Every single Eldian soldier in the Marleyan army had turned into a Titan.</p><p>The second they appeared, most of them barreled through the camp and headed for the ships just off of the shore, while others began to tear through the rest of the camp, crushing, stomping, and devouring any soldiers that got in their way.</p><p>The non-Eldian soldiers had dissolved into an unorganized mass of screaming terror, utterly unprepared for the sudden appearance of thousands of Titans in their midst.</p><p>The mass of Titans that had gone after the ships swarmed them like ants on a piece of cake that had been left on the ground. The bigger ones clambered on the sides and ran along the decks, while the smaller ones tore the doors open and forced themselves down into the lower decks, crushing and devouring any soldiers that tried to flee.</p><p>The ships tried to fire upon the Titans, but their efforts were futile. For every one they managed to successfully hit, another ten took their place, and in their panic many of the ships ended up shooting each other in their efforts to take down the Titans.</p><p>Once the ships were overrun and all the soldiers still on board killed, the Titans returned to the shore and joined with their brethren in wiping out all the soldiers unlucky enough to have been part of the invasion force.</p><p>Pieck, Porco, and Lara had wanted to go after Zeke, but had been unable to, as several dozen Titans had run right at them, forcing them to transform. And while they were able to kill many of them, in the end their sheer numbers had overwhelmed them, and one by one they were captured, and had all of their limbs bitten off.</p><p>Less than thirty minutes after Zeke screamed, the beach had fallen silent, the sandy shore stained with the blood and desecrated flesh of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. The entire invasion force had been slaughtered, and the surviving Titans stood along the shore motionless.</p><p>Using several of his Titans, Zeke carried what was left of Pieck, Porco, and Lara to the nearby forest where the Scouts were waiting for them.</p><p>Hange, Levi, and the other Scouts looked down at Zeke in astonishment.</p><p>Lara had been knocked unconscious, but Pieck and Porco were still awake.</p><p>"You traitorous bastard!" Porco roared, and would have said more if the Titan holding him hadn't covered his mouth.</p><p>Pieck looked down at him in utter disbelief. "Why? Why Zeke?"</p><p>"That's a very good question." Hange said weakly.</p><p>Zeke let out a long sigh before answering.</p><p>"For Eren."</p><p>Levi looked at him bewilderment, while Hange tilted her head in confusion.</p><p>"Huh?"</p><p>Zeke grimaced. "Eren and I are both victims of our father. We just wanted to live normal lives, but that despicable man forced his own plans upon us. In Eren's case he forced the power of the Titans upon him, cutting his lifespan and placing an enormous responsibility upon him."</p><p>Zeke shook his head. "I don't know why Eren ran. Maybe the pressure became too much for him. Maybe he was tired of being used as a weapon. Maybe he couldn't stomach the thought of how many people he would have to kill in order to protect this island. Whatever the case, he decided to run off with the love of his life, and live out the rest of his days quietly."</p><p>He smiled softly. "It was undeniably selfish of him. But at the same time I can't fault him for wanting to carve out some happiness for himself in this cruel world. But even though he left you all behind, I'm sure he's worried about what will happen to this island. And that's why I did it. Even if he's living in a remote area, sooner or later he'll hear about how the invasion against Paradis failed, and that will help ease his conscience. Without the Founding Titan my dream is impossible, but at the very least I can ensure that my little brother will be able to live and die without regrets."</p><p>Hange, Levi, and the others were left stunned. They knew that Zeke had taken an interest in Eren, but they never suspected how deep this connection ran.</p><p>"WHAT?!"</p><p>Pieck's unexpected shriek pierced the air like a foghorn in a library. Everyone flinched and looked at her, and saw her looking more furious than anyone had ever seen her.</p><p>"You betrayed your comrades whom you've known for years for the sake of a brother that you met only once and spoke with for less than five minutes?! Are you fucking insane?!"</p><p>Zeke glanced at her, a look of pity on his face. "While helping my little brother was the main reason I did this, it wasn't the only one. The fact is Marley is a corrupt and selfish nation that deserves to be taken down a peg, and I have allies who were counting on me to defeat Marley. With their invasion force completely wiped out, Marley is going to be in a very tough spot for the immediate future."</p><p>Zeke turned back toward the others. "In any case, I trust my actions today make up for what I did four years ago?"</p><p>Hange slowly nodded. "Yes, I'd say so."</p><p>Levi threw his hands up into the air. "You know what, fuck it, I don't even care anymore."</p><p>Levi stalked off, a strange mix of emotions on his face.</p><p>As several stunned Scouts escorted Zeke back to their base, it slowly began to sink in for Hange.</p><p>They had won. They had survived.</p><p>They actually had a future.</p><hr/><p>Oliver looked up when he heard the door open, and a surprised smile lit up his face. "Ah, good morning mister Kruger, I haven't seen you in a while. How's the wife?"</p><p>Eren nodded. "She's fine. She was feeling rather tired today, so I came here by myself."</p><p>"I see." Oliver grinned. "Doctor Möller told me the good news. Congratulations!"</p><p>Eren smiled softly. "Thanks."</p><p>Eren walked down the aisles of the small store, picking up the usual supplies he needed for their home.</p><p>After fleeing from Marley, the two of them had eventually chosen a small village in a remote part of a neighboring country as the place they would settle down in. As luck would have it, there was an abandoned cabin about nine miles away from the village, and while it had taken some time and a lot of work to restore it, it had proven to be a good home. The villagers were decent, hard working people, and they were very nice to Mr. and Mrs. Kruger, but for the most part they kept to themselves, and Eren and Mikasa did the same.</p><p>Occasionally, though, they would come to the village to get necessary supplies that they couldn't make themselves.</p><p>Eren was quite fond of Oliver and his little store. Part of it was that he provided just about everything that they needed, but part of it was that he was one of the few people who kept tabs on what was going on in the outside world, and would often pass it on to his customers.</p><p>By this method, Eren and Mikasa had learned about Willy Tybur's speech and the global coalition Marley was rallying against Paradis.</p><p>Learning about this had made Eren angry and worried, and part of him was tempted to abandon the life they were building and go back.</p><p>But the thought of the rumbling always held him back. He didn't want to go back down that path. He didn't want to drown the world in the blood of his victims. He didn't want the images he still saw in his nightmares to become a reality.</p><p>And while Mikasa was obviously worried about Armin and the others too, after he'd confessed to her the reason he'd had them run away, she'd understood and been incredibly supportive.</p><p>For better or worse, they had made their bed, and they were going to lie in it.</p><p>Eren headed to the front of the store to pay for the supplies he'd picked up.</p><p>Oliver leaned on the counter. "By the way, I don't suppose you've seen the papers?"</p><p>Eren shook his head. "No, I haven't. Did something happen?</p><p>Oliver nodded seriously. "Yeah, something big happened. Apparently the coalition Marley led against Paradis was completely wiped out."</p><p>Eren's eyes widened in shock. "Really?"</p><p>"Yeah. And now Paradis is engaged in peace talks with other nations, with the holder of the Colossal Titan heading up the negotiations."</p><p>"Is that so?"</p><p>"They said that the only reason they wiped out the invasion force was because they were coming to kill them all, and I can't really fault that kind of reasoning. And they claim that as long as they're left alone they won't destroy the world. Personally I don't trust those island devils, but at the same time things have been relatively peaceful for the past century. Probably best to let sleeping dogs lie."</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Anyway, Marley is in big trouble for having led the world into this ill fated invasion under false pretenses. And with a good chunk of their military wiped out, and having lost all of their Titans except for the Armored, they're going to be in hot water for quite a while."</p><p>"I see."</p><p>Oliver leaned back. "Well, don't let me keep you. Take care."</p><p>"Thanks, you too."</p><p>Eren walked away from the village in a daze.</p><p>They'd done it. He didn't know how it was possible without the Founding Titan, but they'd managed to defeat Marley and keep the island safe.</p><p>He still felt guilty about leaving them all behind, but at the very least he could rest easy at night now, knowing that his decision hadn't damned Paradis.</p><p>It also made him incredibly glad to know that Armin was alive and well, and was doing what he'd always wanted, namely working toward peace.</p><p>And he was sure Mikasa would be glad too.</p><p>As his home came into view, the first thing he spotted was Mikasa sitting on the porch, her hands resting on her slightly protruding belly.</p><p>She looked up, and a bright smile lit up her face as she raised her hand in greeting.</p><p>He waved back, a warm smile coming onto his own face as well.</p><p>As he stepped onto the porch he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace, and she leaned up and kissed him.</p><p>A moment later they broke apart, and Eren looked down at her happily.</p><p>"Mikasa, I've got some great news."</p><hr/><p>Author's Note: This story was inspired by "some place to be at peace" and "pictures on the wall" by bacondestiny, two stories I've been obsessed with for the past few days. If you haven't read them, you should really go do that as soon as you can, they're really good.</p><p>For those of you who haven't read them, they basically take the dream world Mikasa saw in 138 and run with it, exploring what might have happened. While it explores some of the consequences, for the most part it's an idealized au that focuses more on fluffy character moments and less on the darker aspects of the AOT world. It's a bit unrealistic, but that's kind of the point, so it works.</p><p>Anyways, I had been wondering how this situation would play out in a more realistic world, and my initial thought was that Paradis would definitely be doomed. But as I thought it through, and I considered what Zeke might do if this had actually happened, it suddenly clicked for me that maybe Paradis wasn't necessarily doomed, even in a more realistic world. Basically the idea of Zeke using his abilities to completely decimate the Great Allied Forces came to me, and as soon as it did I knew I had to write this story, and here we are.</p><p>I think it matches up with Zeke's character. In canon even after finding out that Eren had intended to betray him, Zeke didn't give up on Eren, and still cared deeply about him. Admittedly this was largely tied into his massive daddy issues, and his mistaken belief that Eren was a victim of Grisha just like he was. But even so, if his euthanization plan was no longer possible, I think Zeke would have prioritized doing what he thought was best for Eren, even if he knew he would never get to see him again.</p><p>This story is intended to be complimentary to bacondestiny's stories, and once again I would highly recommend you go and read them. And I deliberately left certain things vague so that it could hypothetically fit in with those stories. But while they have certain deliberate similarities, there are certain details that don't quite add up between my story and theirs, so it's not possible for both of them to have happened in the same timeline. Though if you tilt your head and squint and ignore those details it might be possible to pretend that they're compatible.</p><p>Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this story. By the way, if you or anyone else makes a story that's an offshoot of one of my stories, be sure to let me know about it, I'd love to read it.</p><p>Be sure to let me know what you thought, and there will be more stuff coming soon.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Paradise and the New World (OP Crossover)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The room had gone quiet, and the atmosphere was heavy as the ceremony unfolded. The time had come to pay tribute to the nine soldiers who had survived the battle of Shiganshina, and the countless others who had not.</p><p>As Historia began to pass out the medals one by one, Eren found his mind wandering.</p><p>
  <em>What are we supposed to do now? We had to sacrifice so much to learn the truth about this world, and the truth is terrifying. Having human enemies out there wouldn't necessarily be so bad, but knowing it's the entire world against us…</em>
</p><p>He looked up as Historia stepped in front of him. She leaned forward and gently placed the medal around his neck.</p><p>
  <em>The odds were never in our favor, but things have only become more bleak. If only...if only we lived in a world that didn't hate us.</em>
</p><p>Eren lightly kisses Historia's hand.</p><p>In the Paths realm, Ymir let out a mischievous grin.</p><p>The second his lips made contact with her skin, a bolt of electricity shot through Eren, and he immediately collapsed at Historia's feet, his consciousness leaving him.</p><p>Historia's eyes widened in shock. "What?"</p><p>"Eren!" Mikasa cried.</p><p>The next second, Armin also fell to the floor, his body going limp.</p><p>"Armin?" Sasha asked uncertainly.</p><p>But before the others could react, the ground began to violently shake, throwing people off balance. Many were able to stay standing with difficulty, while others were unable to and fell.</p><p>The shaking grew more and more violent, and for a moment it seemed like the foundations of the building would surely collapse from the extreme vibrations. But then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the shaking stopped.</p><p>Everyone was silent for a few seconds, as if afraid speaking would cause the shaking to resume. When it didn't, uneasy murmuring swept through the crowd of military personnel.</p><p>"W-what was that?!" Connie whispered.</p><p>Hange shook her head, unsure of how to answer.</p><p>Numerous members of the Garrison dispersed to check the structural integrity of the building, to calm any panicked civilians, and to try to find out what had caused the shaking. Meanwhile, Mikasa picked up Eren, while Levi picked up Armin, and they carried them over to the medical wing of the building.</p><p>As everyone left the room, they were all left with one question.</p><p>What was going on?</p>
<hr/><p>Boris looked around wildly. "What was that shaking?"</p><p>Hitch's eyes widened. "Maybe Annie escaped!"</p><p>Boris glanced at her skeptically. "That felt too big to be just a 15 meter Titan. Besides, the building seems undamaged."</p><p>Hitch began to jog down the hall toward the basement. "Well, let's check just to be safe."</p><p>"Alright, alright."</p><p>They quickly descended the stairs, passed by the two guards without a word, and went straight for the door leading to the chamber containing Annie's crystal.</p><p>After hastily cycling through the keys, Hitch slammed it into the lock and pushed the door open.</p><p>As soon as the door swung open they were stunned by what they could see, or rather by what they couldn't see.</p><p>Annie's crystal was gone.</p><p>Boris swore. "Shit, looks like you were right. I'll spread the alarm."</p><p>Boris dashed back up the stairs to alert the rest of the MP and Garrison soldiers of Stohess about Annie's escape.</p><p>But as Hitch looked around, she realized that something wasn't right. The door to the chamber had still been locked, and appeared to be completely undamaged.</p><p>And as she walked down into the chamber and examined the walls, she noticed that not only was there no sign of the crystal, but there was no indication of any sort of tunnel or hole or anything. The walls looked the same as they always had.</p><p>It was almost as if Annie had just vanished into thin air. But that wasn't possible.</p><p>Was it?</p><p>As Hitch stepped near the exact spot where Annie's crystal had been, and was looking at the wooden stakes and chains that had kept it in place, she noticed something strange right in the middle.</p><p>It was a fruit.</p><p>Curious, she bent down and picked it up. As she examined it more closely, she could see that it looked like a peach, except that it was a reddish pink color, and had strange swirls covering its surface.</p><p>The fruit seemed pleasant, enticing, and on a whim Hitch took a bite out of it.</p><p>She instantly regretted her choice.</p><p>"Bleh! Gross!"</p><p>The fruit tasted incredibly sour, and while she had been unable to stop herself from swallowing the first bite, she quickly dropped the rest of the fruit to the floor.</p><p>Hitch made a face. "What the hell was I thinking, eating some strange fruit off the ground."</p><p>She turned around, her mind turning back to Annie, and the conundrum of how the Female Titan shifter could have escaped.</p><p>She let out a long sigh.</p><p>
  <em>What is going on?</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>In Trost, the residents not only noticed the violent shaking, but also something even more unusual.</p><p>After the shaking subsided, the boulder sealing the outer gate was gone, and the gate looked brand new, as if it had never been destroyed by the Colossal Titan.</p><p>One of the Garrison soldiers looked at the gate in astonishment. "What the hell is this? There was that strange quake, and now the gate has magically repaired itself? What's happening?"</p><p>Rico shook her head. "I don't know."</p><p>Ignoring her comrades, Rico used her gear to descend down to the base of the wall in order to get a closer look at the gate.</p><p>As she got near, she was amazed at how good it looked.</p><p>She frowned. "But what could have caused it to reappear like this? Even the Titan powers can't truly make something come from nothing, there's always a source for everything."</p><p>She stopped near the edge of the gate, and as she looked at it more closely she spotted a fruit on the ground just in front of the gate.</p><p>"Hmm? What's this?"</p><p>She bent down to pick it up. It appeared to be a golden apple, but the coloration seemed slightly off, and there were strange swirls covering the skin.</p><p>On a whim, she took a bite.</p><p>Her face scrunched up, and she held the fruit at arm's length.</p><p>"Ugh. Whatever this is, it's not fresh. I guess eating a random fruit on the ground was pretty stupid."</p><p>She paused, and looked at it more carefully. "Although...is it just a fruit?"</p><p>As she examined it, she realized that something about the color was bothering her. She'd seen the color once before, in some of the drawings she'd seen of the Armored Titan that had been based on eyewitness testimony.</p><p>Of course, it's not like there was any connection between the Armored Titan and this fruit.</p><p>Was there?</p><p>She looked at the fruit, then back at the newly repaired gate, a thoughtful frown on her face.</p><p>"Something strange is going on."</p>
<hr/><p>Eren let out a low groan, and slowly opened his eyes. As he looked around the room, he could see that he and Armin had been placed on adjacent beds in the medical wing, with the other survivors anxiously watching them.</p><p>Armin slowly sat up, having regained consciousness at around the same time that he had.</p><p>Sasha smiled at them in relief. "They're awake!"</p><p>Jean shook his head. "Don't scare us like that."</p><p>Mikasa stepped forward, and looked back and forth between the two boys frantically.</p><p>"Are you okay?"</p><p>Armin slowly nodded. "I think so."</p><p>Eren rubbed the back of his neck. His body felt strange, different somehow, but he wasn't sure how to put it into words, and overall he felt fine, so decided not to worry them.</p><p>He cleared his throat. "What happened?"</p><p>Hange grimaced. "You both collapsed in the middle of the ceremony, and right afterwards there was a massive earthquake."</p><p>"What?!" Armin exclaimed. "Is everyone okay?"</p><p>Hange raised her hands reassuringly. "Yes, everyone's fine, the earthquake didn't appear to do any damage, apart from scaring the hell out of us. But some odd things have occurred."</p><p>Eren frowned. "Like what?"</p><p>A troubled expression came onto Hange's face. "For one, Annie's gone. But it's strange. The door to her cell was still locked and undamaged, and there were no signs of a tunnel or any other way out of there. It's as if she vanished into thin air."</p><p>"Also, the gate at Trost appears to have magically repaired itself." Jean added.</p><p>Armin looked utterly baffled. "Huh? How is that even possible?"</p><p>Hange shook her head. "I don't know. My only guess is that it has something to do with the power of the Titans, but even so, there was nothing in Grisha's notes that indicated this sort of thing is possible."</p><p>She turned toward Eren. "Unless...Eren, is it possible that you somehow unlocked the Founding Titan's power?"</p><p>Eren looked down at his hands. While it was true that he'd felt a strange bolt of electricity right before the earthquake had occurred, it had been completely different from the feeling he'd had when he'd inadvertently awakened the Founding Titan's power from touching Dina's Titan.</p><p>He also wasn't entirely sure if that was indeed the reason he'd been able to use the Founding Titan's power, and until he was sure, he would continue to keep it to himself, as he didn't want to put Historia in danger for no reason.</p><p>Eren shook his head. "No, I don't think so."</p><p>"Hmm." Hange murmured.</p>
<hr/><p>About a week later Connie and Sasha journeyed on horseback to what was left of Ragako in order to check on his mother. Given all the strange things that had occurred in the wake of the earthquake he wanted to make sure she was okay.</p><p>Or at least, as okay as she could be as an abnormal Titan.</p><p>While the strangest things had happened on the day of the earthquake, there had been some other odd changes that they'd noted.</p><p>In particular after Hange started doing further experiments with Eren and Armin's Titans, they'd noticed some things that had changed about their powers. For one, an injury was no longer necessary to transform. For as long as they had known about the Titan powers, drawing blood had always been a requirement to transform, with a goal or objective being the secondary requirement. Yet now, only having the goal or objective was necessary for them to transform, with the injury becoming entirely optional.</p><p>Another noticeable change was that their stamina seemed significantly higher than before. In Eren's case he could now transform four times in a row instead of three, and even after four transformations he didn't seem anywhere near as exhausted as he had during their earlier experiments.</p><p>As for Armin, they didn't have as much data to go on. But from what little they knew about the Colossal Titan from Bertolt and Grisha's journals, the Colossal Titan only had the strength to transform about once a day, with maybe a partial transformation being possible if given several hours to rest. However, Armin was able to do a full transformation twice in a row, and even managed a partial transformation shortly afterwards.</p><p>All of it pointed to one conclusion: whatever had happened on the day of the earthquake, it had drastically affected many things, including the power of the Titans.</p><p>Which made Connie all the more anxious about his mother. It was true that the normal Titans wandering outside of Wall Rose appeared to be behaving the same as always, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened in Ragako.</p><p>As Connie and Sasha rode into the abandoned village, Connie felt his stomach drop as he took in the sight of his empty house.</p><p>"What? Where is she?"</p><p>He leaped off of his horse and ran around the perimeter of his house, looking around frantically.</p><p>But there was no mistaking it. His mother was gone.</p><p>"No…" He whispered. "Did someone kill her? Damn it...I suppose...but…"</p><p>He shook his head hopelessly.</p><p>Sasha walked over to him, her eyes sad.</p><p>"Connie…"</p><p>Connie wandered into his ruined house dismally, his mind involuntarily bringing back memories of a happier time, when the house was still intact, and his parents and siblings were alive and well.</p><p>Now all of that was gone, and he was the only one left. And it was all because of that fucking monkey.</p><p>He glanced at a nearby small cabinet that was somehow still standing, and he froze when he noticed something sitting on top of it.</p><p>Lying on the wooden surface was a fruit. It looked a bit like a pomegranate, but it was a dark brown, and it had strange swirls all over it.</p><p>As he looked at it, Connie found the coloration of the fruit reminding him of the color of the Beast Titan's fur.</p><p>Gritting his teeth in anger, Connie stomped over to the cabinet and picked up the fruit to hurl it at the wall in an effort to vent some of his feelings.</p><p>But as he picked it up, he immediately noticed that it was heavier than he was expecting, and there was an unusual, almost unearthly quality about it.</p><p>Sasha stepped into the house, and eyed the fruit warily.</p><p>"What is that?"</p><p>"Dunno." Connie murmured.</p><p>His curiosity getting the better of him, he took a bite.</p><p>He flinched as the bitter taste burned his throat. "Shit, this tastes nasty!"</p><p>Sasha let out a small smile. "Heh, and I'm usually the one who can't resist food."</p><p>Giving into his earlier impulse, Connie hurled the fruit at the wall as hard as he could, where it splattered against the weathered wood, leaving an unpleasant looking stain that slowly slid down onto the floor.</p><p>Connie felt involuntary tears sliding down his face, and he shut his eyes, unable to look at his ruined home any longer.</p><p>Sasha gently placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to give him what comfort she could.</p>
<hr/><p>Several more weeks passed, and for a while Hange felt that while they still didn't entirely know what was going on, no more new strange developments would occur.</p><p>Then one morning, a new strange development occurred.</p><p>Hange looked up to see Levi striding into her office, and at once felt her back stiffen. Levi's face was not irritated or indifferent, as was typical for him, but instead slightly bewildered.</p><p>Levi gestured behind him. "We need to talk. Follow me."</p><p>Something about his tone inclined Hange to hold her tongue for the moment, and followed him. At first she expected him to take her to a more private location, and was surprised when he instead led her to the side entrance of the Scout headquarters, and stopped next to a small row of trees along the path.</p><p>Hange looked at him curiously. "What's up?"</p><p>Levi tapped his hipbox nervously. "I was doing some of my training exercises yesterday, when this happened."</p><p>Levi pulled out one of his blades, and the next second a black aura enveloped the blade completely like a second skin.</p><p>Hange's eyes widened. "Whoa, how are you doing that?!"</p><p>Levi shook his head, his eyes narrowed at the black blade. "I don't know. It happens if I concentrate, but if I stop…"</p><p>The blade slowly faded back to normal.</p><p>Hange frowned thoughtfully. "But what does that mean?"</p><p>"At first I wasn't sure, but then I tried using the blade with this...aura, or whatever it is, activated. And when I did…"</p><p>Levi held up the blade, and the black aura came back. He then swung the blade forward, and was able to completely sever one of the smaller trees just above the base of the trunk. The upper half fell to the ground with a heavy thud.</p><p>Hange's jaw dropped. "HOLY SHIT! HOW...WHA...THA…"</p><p>Levi nodded, his gaze fixed on the blade that had defied all known laws of physics.</p><p>"Exactly. I don't know what this is, but somehow I have this strange new ability. And I'm not the only one. Mikasa told me that recently her senses have unexpectedly gotten much sharper, and she's able to see and hear things much further away than is normal."</p><p>Hange rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Curious. Perhaps it has something to do with the Ackerman bloodline?"</p><p>Levi shrugged. "Maybe. But considering all the strange things that have been happening lately, I'd be willing to bet it's connected to whatever caused that quake."</p><p>"Probably..."</p>
<hr/><p>As the weeks rolled by, things were further complicated when Jean started being able to emit the same black aura as Levi, and Sasha's observational skills also drastically improved, though not quite to Mikasa's level. Both of these rendered Hange's hypothesis about the Ackerman clan less likely, and lent credibility to Levi's idea that it was linked to whatever strange phenomenon had caused the quake.</p><p>Unsure of what was going on, in the end Hange decided that all they could do was try to make the most of these abilities, and so they began to train and hone them in earnest.</p><p>Before long all the Scouts and a good number of the Garrison were able to emit the same black aura and enhance their observational skills, though to varying degrees of success, and this allowed them greater control and power in combat and ODM gear training.</p><p>Hange was impressed by the results, and was naturally thrilled when she managed to pull both of them off herself, but it also made her nervous. If these strange new abilities were exclusive to Paradis, then they would have a distinct advantage when it came time to fight Marley again. But if Marley had also acquired these new abilities, then that would just put them right back at square one.</p><p>Still, until all the pure Titans were cleared out they couldn't do anything about the outside world, and so she tried not to dwell on it.</p><p>But then something happened that raised even further questions.</p><p>It was early in the morning, and most of the heroes of Shiganshina had gathered in Hange's office for a meeting before they began the day's work. The only one missing was Sasha, which wasn't unusual, as she was often running late.</p><p>Suddenly, the door to Hange's office burst open, and Sasha strode in with a young girl at her side.</p><p>"You guys!" Sasha practically shouted. "Something big happened last night!"</p><p>The other Scouts, which included Hange, Levi, Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Connie, and Floch looked back and forth between Sasha and the young girl with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.</p><p>Hange leaned forward, her interest piqued. "What is it?"</p><p>Sasha nodded. "We were gathering herbs in the woods near our house, when Kaya...come on you tell them. Don't be shy."</p><p>Sasha gently nudged Kaya forward.</p><p>Kaya looked at the Scouts nervously before looking down at her feet, her face slightly flushed.</p><p>"I...I accidentally turned into a Titan."</p><p>Everyone's eyes widened in shock.</p><p>"What?!" Armin shouted.</p><p>"What do you mean?" Levi frowned. "Was it a pure Titan?"</p><p>Sasha shook her head. "No, she was able to come out of the nape. From its appearance, and based on what was in Mr. Yeager's books, I'd say that she somehow obtained the power of the Cart Titan."</p><p>Jean blinked. "Huh? Does that mean that something happened to the last user of the Cart Titan?"</p><p>Armin frowned. "But this doesn't make any sense. If the user of the Cart Titan was killed, then the power should have gone to a random newborn Eldian child. Why would it go to her?"</p><p>Hange rubbed her chin. "From what his notes said, the powers are transferred through the paths by means that we don't fully understand. While this is unexpected, it doesn't seem impossible."</p><p>Hange looked down at Kaya and asked her kindly. "Is there anything unusual or strange that happened to you before you turned into a Titan?"</p><p>Kaya fiddled with her skirt, her face still rather red from all the attention. "Um...nothing recently. I, uh...I did eat a weird looking fruit a few weeks ago...but...no, I don't suppose that would have had anything to do with it."</p><p>Connie stiffened.</p><p>Hange chuckled. "Probably not. But a good scientist always keeps possible variables in mind."</p><p>Sasha looked at Hange anxiously. "You're not going to force her to join the military just yet, are you? I know she has the power of a Titan, but she's still a kid!"</p><p>Hange sighed. "We can't just ignore it, but I will do my best to make sure she isn't exploited. Since from what I know the Cart Titan was primarily a noncombatant type, I think we'll be able to keep her out of harm's way."</p><p>Sasha nodded. "Thank you."</p><p>As Sasha and Kaya left, Hange felt rather mixed emotions. She was of course relieved that they had another one of the Nine Titans, and that by extension Marley had one less. But at the same time it made her anxious.</p><p>
  <em>Another puzzling mystery. What does it all mean?</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>After several more months had passed, the day finally came when the Titan guillotines appeared to have cleared out all the Titans. The Scouts departed for Shiganshina, both to survey the land for any straggling Titans, and to make sure that Shiganshina was still secure.</p><p>By the time they spotted Wall Maria, they hadn't seen any Titans, which was both reassuring and worrying, as whenever things seemed to be going well for them, that was when something unexpected happened. Usually something bad.</p><p>As they approached the wall, they noticed something odd.</p><p>Armin sniffed the air. "Is it just me, or is the air...salty?"</p><p>Eren sniffed the air himself before frowning. "No...you're right…"</p><p>They also spotted several large birds flying above the wall, and as they got a good look at them they realized it was a type of bird that none of them had ever seen before.</p><p>But the strangest thing they noticed was the inner gate. Just like the gate at Trost, it appeared to have been magically repaired.</p><p>Hange grimaced. <em>Something unusual is happening. Perhaps we shouldn't go right into the district.</em></p><p>She raised her voice. "Soldiers, alter course!"</p><p>Instead of going straight for the inner gate, they instead headed for one of the corners of the district where it connected with Wall Maria. Once the Scouts reached the wall, they immediately used their gear to scale up the wall.</p><p>As soon as the Scouts landed on top of the wall, all of them, without fail, were utterly stunned by the sight before them.</p><p>Connie's eyes widened. "Whoa…"</p><p>Jean's jaw dropped. "Holy shit…"</p><p>Instead of the large land mass of grassy fields and dotted forest areas they were expecting, they found themselves looking at an endless expanse of water that stretched all the way to the horizon. There was only about a kilometer worth of beach separating the wall from the water, and they could see the tides ebbing and flowing against the shore.</p><p>They had reached the ocean.</p><p>"What the hell?" Levi said in bewilderment. "Did the rest of the island somehow get swallowed by the sea? Was that what that quake was about all those months ago?"</p><p>Hange looked down at the beach, her face a mixture of confusion and awe. "No...if that was the case, it would be a bunch of jagged cliffs jutting out over the water...but the shore looks smooth…"</p><p>"Look!" Armin pointed. "There's something in the center of Shiganshina!"</p><p>They turned, and saw the ruined district of Shiganshina stretched out before them. Much of the district had been destroyed during the battle to reclaim Wall Maria, while the rest was still in a state of ruin as a result of the many years of neglect that the absence of human life had inflicted upon it.</p><p>But towards the center of the district, right in the middle of the crater where Bertolt had transformed during the battle, was a large green cube.</p><p>Hange frowned. "I suppose we should investigate."</p><p>A short time later the Scouts arrived in front of the green cube. Up close they could see it was big enough that Eren's Titan would struggle to lift it, though Armin's could probably pick it up with relative ease.</p><p>On the front end of the cube was a large crystal. And inside the crystal…</p><p>Eren froze. "Is that…?"</p><p>The Scouts looked at the figure inside the crystal in disbelief.</p><p>"Ymir!" Jean breathed.</p><p>He reached out and lightly touched the crystal, and it instantly shattered, scattering fragments everywhere and depositing an unconscious and rather wet Ymir at Jean's feet.</p><p>Jean leaped back in shock. "Shit! I didn't expect that to happen!"</p><p>Sasha knelt down next to Ymir. "But...I thought she was dead."</p><p>Armin's eyes widened. "Look. There's writing on the side of the cube."</p><p>They looked up, and could see that he was right. All over the surface of the cube were what appeared to be strange markings at first glance, until they realized that they were actually words etched into the stone surface.</p><p>They stepped forward and examined it closely.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>This is a message from the Founder Ymir to you, my descendants.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I am very familiar with the feeling of being trapped in a hopeless situation.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>This is why I have used my power to free you from the circumstances that condemned you to being in an unwinnable position.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I have extracted everything on Paradis island within Wall Maria, and moved it to another, and very different, world. One with an entirely different history, one that is completely unaware of the power of the Titans and the Eldian race, and thus will bear you no hatred or ill will because of what your ancestors did.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As part of the process of moving Paradis to this world, I have adjusted the power of the Titans to fit into this world better, and in a way that will not require my help going forward. In this world there are mysterious objects known as Devil Fruits which, once eaten, will grant the user some kind of special power. The trade off is that the user can no longer swim, as they are cursed by the sea. Since this world is mostly covered in water, even more so than the one you came from, this makes the Devil Fruits a slightly risky power, but most consider it worthwhile.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>There are three types of Devil Fruits. Paramecian, which alters the properties of the user's body in some way, Zoan, which gives the user the power to transform into some kind of animal, and Logia, which allows the user to become and control an element of nature. There are subcategories of each, and the rarest and most powerful Fruits are the mythical Zoan, Devil Fruits that allow the user to transform into a mythical creature. I have converted each of the Nine Titans into a mythical Zoan Devil Fruit power.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>This means that each of the Nine Titans still retains all of the benefits and abilities they had, while the weaknesses and drawbacks have been reduced. One of these drawbacks was of course the curse of Ymir, something which you will be happy to hear no longer applies in this world.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eren of course has the power of two Titans, and as of the moment you are reading this he has full access to both, and so can use the Wall Titans to defend Paradis if that should prove necessary. While this world is not inherently hostile toward your island like the previous one was, it is still a dangerous and complicated place, and you will need to be on your guard. But the focus of this world is not on you, and your chances of survival are significantly higher than they would have been in the other world. With that in mind, I wish you all the best of luck.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Oh, and because I was feeling generous I decided to resurrect my namesake and even let her keep the Devil Fruit variant of the Jaw Titan. I'm sure that will make Historia quite happy.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>There's also armament and observation Haki, but I'm sure you'll be able to figure out about that on your own.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Best of luck, and farewell.</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>The Scouts stepped away from the cube, utterly stunned by what they had just read.</p><p>Levi shook his head. "Damn."</p><p>Pure joy lit up Mikasa's face, and she wrapped her arms around Eren and Armin, hugging them tight and crying tears of relief, knowing that they weren't going to be taken from her any time soon.</p><p>Hange rubbed her head, a bewildered smile on her face. "Well...good news, our fears and concerns about the world destroying us are now moot. Bad news, all of the intel Grisha provided us about the outside world is now useless, and we're now completely blind about what's beyond our little island."</p><p>Jean shrugged. "Still, based on what we know about the world we came from, and if what Ymir said about this world is true, that doesn't seem too bad."</p><p>Levi frowned thoughtfully. "She briefly mentioned something about armament and observation Haki. If I had to guess, that's referring to the strange new abilities we acquired several months back. I'm guessing Haki must be something that's fairly commonplace in this new world, so it's a good thing we have access to it."</p><p>Sasha's eyes lit up. "So that explains why Kaya has the Cart Titan! She must have eaten the Devil Fruit variant of its power!"</p><p>Hange nodded. "Yeah, you're right."</p><p>Connie raised his hand awkwardly. "Um...guys...I didn't mention this before, because I didn't think it was relevant, but...I think I have the Beast Titan."</p><p>Everyone turned toward him sharply.</p><p>"Huh?" Jean exclaimed.</p><p>Sasha gasped. "Oh! That weird fruit you ate at Ragako!"</p><p>Connie nodded slowly. "Yeah. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but…"</p><p>A grin lit up Hange's face. "So, that's another Titan power on our side. It'd be good if we could find them all. Well...I guess we'll have to go around and start asking people if they've seen and/or eaten any strange looking fruits lately."</p><p>Levi shook his head. "This whole thing is so fucking bizarre."</p><p>Mikasa tightened her grip on her two boys, tears of joy still streaming down her cheeks. "I don't care."</p><p>Armin laughed nervously. "It's also kind of exciting though."</p><p>Eren nodded. "Yeah."</p><p>Eren looked up and saw a pair of the strange new birds flying above them. As he observed the serene blue sky and smelled the sweet salty air, he felt at peace.</p><p>He didn't know what this strange new world would hold for them, but for the first time since they visited the basement, he felt optimistic about the future.</p>
<hr/><p>Author's Note: Surprise One Piece crossover! I think it fits for April Fool's, because while it's not exactly a joke chapter, the premise is quite a bit more outlandish than anything else I've done so far. I've seen a few other AOT and One Piece crossovers, but all of them just kind of awkwardly have the One Piece characters show up in the AOT world (or vice versa) with no real explanation, overlooking the fact that the two worlds are extremely different. So here I tried to have the two worlds colliding in as realistic of a way as possible.</p><p>This is one story I can confidently say that I will definitely not be continuing. For one, in order to really do the premise justice, the story would have to be nightmarishly long, and while I have a passing interest in One Piece, I can't say I'm a fan. I find the lore and the worldbuilding to be really fascinating, I think the concept of Devil Fruits is absolutely genius, and allows for a lot of very creative powers and fights. But while I've dabbled in the manga and the anime, neither really clicked for me, as the pacing is really slow (particularly in the anime) and I can't stand Luffy. And while I know a lot about the lore and everything, I am by no means an expert, as a lot of what I know comes from reading the wikis and watching Tekking101's videos from time to time rather than the original source material. I mean, I find his videos entertaining, and I find discussions about One Piece more interesting than actually reading or watching One Piece itself. I can definitely see why it's so popular, and there is a lot to admire and appreciate about it, but overall it's not really my cup of tea.</p><p>Still, if anyone who is a fan of One Piece wants to take this premise and run with it, be my guest. While I've left things fairly open, my idea was that Paradis was placed in the calm belt between the North Blue and the New World some time during the two year time skip. And with the Founding Titan Eren would have power that is more or less on par with the Yonkos, so there's a lot of possibilities. Would Paradis ally themselves with the world government? Would they join up with one of the Yonkos? Would they try to keep to themselves? What would happen if they met the Strawhats? Like I said, lots of different possible scenarios.</p><p>As for what happened in the AOT world after part of Paradis vanished, let's just say that several years later Marley would eventually discover a massive lake where the territories of Wall Maria used to be, and in the center of the lake would be another poneglyph and Annie's crystal, and the poneglyph would explain what had happened, and then also announce that the second they touched Annie's crystal all the Titan powers would stop working. I was originally going to write out that scene, but I was feeling kind of lazy, so I didn't.</p><p>Anyways, be sure to let me know what you thought, and stay tuned for more.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Trespassing in the Forbidden Land (SOTC Crossover)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hange placed the gun down, confident that the last of their pursuers were now dead.</p><p>This fact gave her no joy, knowing that not long ago, they had been her fellow comrades.</p><p>She pushed aside the bushes where she had laid Levi down, her heart breaking as she took in his battered form.</p><p>She'd only been half lying to Floch. Levi was still alive, but from the extent of his injuries it was clear that he wouldn't live for long.</p><p>Even so, she'd wanted to spare him from whatever fate Zeke or the Yeagerists might have had in mind for him, and so she'd grabbed him and leapt into the river in order to prolong his life, even if by just a few minutes.</p><p>And it looked like those few minutes were about to run out.</p><p>She cradled him in her arms, her head resting against his.</p><p>"Levi." She said softly. "I don't know if you can hear me, but...I'm sorry. I got us into this mess. I just…"</p><p>She trailed off, unsure of what to say. She knew that Levi's driving motivation had been to kill Zeke and fulfill Erwin's last promise, something that he would now die before accomplishing.</p><p>Being unable to keep his word would probably bother him far more than dying would. And since this looked like the end for him…</p><p>"Zeke got away, but it's not over." Hange whispered in his ear. "I found out that Eren intends to betray him. He just needs Zeke to activate the Founding Titan, he doesn't actually plan to go along with Zeke's plans. So...so don't feel too bad about letting Zeke go. It's...it doesn't matter."</p><p>She had no idea if Levi could hear her, and she had no idea if what she was saying was true. But with Levi on death's door, his comfort mattered more than the truth, and she was determined to at least try to give it to him.</p><p>As Levi's breathing slowed, Hange suddenly realized that she was about to be the only one left of the old guard, the only surviving member of the original Survey Corp.</p><p>Her throat tightened, and a tear slid down her face and onto his.</p><p>"Levi...I'll miss you."</p><p>Levi's body went limp, and he breathed no more.</p>
<hr/><p>While Levi's body had died, his soul remained restless, unsatisfied. He'd sensed Hange's presence, but he hadn't heard any of her words, and so received no comfort from them, real or imagined.</p><p>But while his soul was now beyond Hange's reach, other forces could still detect and affect his soul.</p><p>One of them was a young girl called Ymir, someone who had been within the coordinate for over two thousand years.</p><p>Sensing his troubled spirit, she took pity on him and sent him beyond the paths and into a different plane altogether.</p><p>And in this alternate plane, another entity sensed his soul, and what it was capable of, and without hesitation reached out and caught it.</p>
<hr/><p>Levi opened his eyes, and was greeted with the sight of countless blades of grass less than an inch away from his face.</p><p>He flinched and sat up, and realized he was lying in a wooded area.</p><p>
  <em>Where…</em>
</p><p>Suddenly his memory came back, and he recalled the last thing that had happened had been Zeke pulling the pin on the thunder spear.</p><p>Levi looked down at his hands, then his legs, and briefly checked himself over for any injuries.</p><p>He found none, nor did he feel any pain.</p><p>He frowned. Had he somehow gotten clear of the explosion in time?</p><p>But no, he distinctly remembered searing pain in his chest, his hand, and his face.</p><p>He looked down at his hands again, noting how they were completely unmarked.</p><p>So was he dead then? But why did he still feel fine? It didn't make sense.</p><p>But before he could puzzle over his situation any further, he heard a cry of pain behind him.</p><p>He turned around, and was slightly startled by what he saw.</p><p>A large black horse stood along a stone path, and laying beside the horse against a tree was a young man wearing a strange looking shirt and cloak, clutching his leg as if he were in absolute agony.</p><p>Levi slowly walked over to him. Initially he was going to ask the young man who he was, but after seeing the pained expression on his face ended up asking a different question.</p><p>"Are you okay?"</p><p>The man let out a low moan. "No. I...I was bitten...by a black snake...I think it must have been poisonous…"</p><p>Levi knelt down next to him. "Here, let me help you. I can-"</p><p>"No time." The young man shook his head. "It's too late for me. Just...promise me something."</p><p>"If it's within my power, I'll do it."</p><p>The young man grabbed Levi by the collar, his expression becoming desperate as he looked up into Levi's eyes.</p><p>"Please...I came here...to the forbidden land...to try to bring her back...to restore her soul…"</p><p>He pointed at the horse, and as Levi looked up he could see that the body of a young woman was resting on the saddle, wrapped in a large black cloth.</p><p>The young man coughed. "Take my sword...and my bow...and my horse...Agro...and save her...please…"</p><p>Levi looked down at him with pity.</p><p>So the young man wanted him to bring someone back from the dead. That wasn't possible, but he'd do what he could to give the young man comfort in his last moments.</p><p>"I'll do my best." He murmured quietly.</p><p>"Thank you." The young man whispered.</p><p>His grip on Levi's collar weakened, and he collapsed to the ground. He was dead.</p><p>Levi looked further along the stone path, and was surprised to see a series of stone pillars in front of a rocky wall that ran perpendicular to the path, and at the end of the path on either side were two rocky cliffs that jutted up into the air, flanking the path like a pair of sentries.</p><p>The glare from the sun through the gap between the cliffs was too bright for him to see clearly, but if he had to guess, this was probably the entrance to the forbidden land that the young man had spoken of.</p><p>Unsure of what was going on, where he was, or even if he was alive or dead, Levi decided that for the moment his best course of action was to try to fulfill the young man's dying wish, futile as it might be.</p><p>As the man had instructed, he took the sword and the bow that the man had been carrying.</p><p>
  <em>Sasha would have been able to make better use of this…</em>
</p><p>He flinched as the image of her dead body flashed in his mind, and he quickly brushed it aside, strapping the sword to his hip and the bow across his chest.</p><p>The horse looked at him suspiciously, but it's expression softened when he lifted up the young man's body and placed it on the saddle next to the woman's.</p><p>Levi gently brushed the horse's mane with his fingers. "Your name was Agro, right?"</p><p>The horse snorted.</p><p>"I see. Well, I'm not your master, but...I'll do my best to do what your master wanted."</p><p>Levi then climbed onto the horse's saddle. After making sure that the bodies of the man and woman were still secure, he urged Agro forward. It reluctantly began to move toward the entrance, its hooves making dull clopping sounds on the weathered stone road.</p><p>As they passed between the cliffs, Levi found his breath catching in his throat as he saw what lay beyond.</p><p>Stretching out in front of him was a massive stone bridge that went on for at least a kilometer or two. On either side of the bridge was a mass of sandy terrain dotted with rocky formations and trees. Directly in front of him was what looked like a massive ancient temple, so tall that it would have dwarfed even the three walls.</p><p>So this was the forbidden land.</p><p>As he observed the shadow the bridge cast on the sandy terrain below, he wondered how it was built, and once again wondered exactly where he was. As much as he didn't want to think about it, this gave further credence to the idea that he had died from that thunder spear. (the thunder spear he himself had set...on reflection that had been a really stupid decision on his part) Otherwise he couldn't think of any other reason for how or why he could have ended up in this strange place.</p><p>The bridge was extremely long, and it took almost half an hour to cross it. As he reached the temple, he could see a large stone door directly in front of his path.</p><p>Just as he was wondering how he would get it open, the door slid up, revealing a set of stairs leading down. They were wide enough that Agro could still walk on them, so Levi directed him forward.</p><p>As Levi peered into the darkness beyond the doorway, he felt a sense of foreboding, and apparently Agro felt it too, as he stopped and let out a nervous whinny.</p><p>But there appeared to be no other way to go, so Levi urged him forward. In the confined space the clopping from Agro's hooves against the stone surface sounded much louder than it had in the open air.</p><p>As they descended down, the stone door shuddered and closed behind them, blocking out the light from the outside. Levi looked back, his face containing small traces of apprehension.</p><p>
  <em>Well, no turning back now.</em>
</p><p>As they reached the end of the stairs, they emerged in a large and incredibly high cylindrical room with one long ramp that spiraled downwards. Levi directed Agro to follow the ramp down, keeping toward the wall and away from the center, from which the bottom floor was visible.</p><p>It took another half hour to descend down the chamber, with the only sound being the clopping from Agro's hooves, which seemed amplified by the confined space and rigid stone floors and walls.</p><p>Eventually they reached the bottom, where there was a circular pool of water. As the whole place appeared abandoned, Levi was surprised to see that the water looked smooth and clear, as he would have expected it to be overgrown with moss and gunk without anyone to look after it.</p><p>But he quickly dismissed this anomaly, as he could now see that the bottom floor opened into another large chamber. At the back of the chamber was what looked like an altar of some kind, and as Agro trotted into the room Levi could see a row of statues on either side of the room. There were eight on each side, and they depicted a variety of strange looking creatures, some that looked similar to real animals, and others that looked entirely alien.</p><p>As Agro neared the altar, he carefully walked up the steps leading to the altar. When Agro was right in front of the altar, Levi gently tugged on the reins and Agro came to a halt.</p><p>Levi lightly leaped off of the horse, picked up the body of the woman, and set it on the altar. He then did the same for the body of the man, laying him beside the woman. There was just enough room for the pair of them to lay side by side, and Levi could almost pretend that they were a pair of lovers just taking a nap.</p><p>But of course, that wasn't the case. They were both dead, one of them having died trying in vain to bring the other back to life.</p><p>
  <em>Well, is this what you wanted? I brought her here. I brought you here as well. But nothing appears to be happening, as was to be expected. It's painful, but...</em>
</p><p>Suddenly, Agro let out a frightened whinny.</p><p>Levi turned around, and was startled to see several shadowy figures crawling up out of the ground just a short distance away from the altar.</p><p>Levi drew out the sword that the young man had given him. "Who are you?"</p><p>None of them answered, and they slowly began to walk forward.</p><p>Levi pointed the sword at them. "What are you?"</p><p>Suddenly the shadowy figures froze, and melted away into nothing.</p><p>The next second, a massive vibration thundered through the air, and from the ceiling a voice spoke.</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>Hmm? Thou possesses the Ancient Sword?</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Levi looked up in shock. The voice sounded powerful, and ancient, and he couldn't tell if it was a man's voice, or a woman's voice, as it contained aspects of both.</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>How didst thou come to be here?</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Sensing that he wasn't in danger at the moment, Levi slowly sheathed the sword.</p><p>"I'm...I'm not sure. I...I thought I had died. But...I seem to still be alive...and I ended up here...somehow."</p><p>The entity pondered this for a moment.</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>Yes...we can sense that thy soul is not of this world. It was sent from elsewhere. But why hast thou come here?</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Levi glanced behind him at the deceased lovers. "The young man...he asked me to bring the woman here so that he could bring her back from the dead."</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>And what dost thou think of this endeavor?</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Levi grimaced. "Well...while it's understandable to want to bring back a deceased loved one...ultimately it's just a foolish dream. It's better to accept that they're gone, and move on."</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>Yes. Once a soul has passed beyond the veil of death, it can never be recovered. That is the law of mortals.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Levi nodded dismally.</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>However, with that sword, such a feat may not be impossible.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Levi looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>We art Dormin. We have great power, but this power has been sealed away. If thou return our power to us, we will be able to return the souls of those thou hast lost.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Levi looked down at the sword, then back up at the ceiling, his eyes narrowing.</p><p>"What do I have to do?"</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>Behold the idols that stand along the wall...Thou art to destroy all of them. But those idols cannot be destroyed by the mere hands of a mortal...In this land there exist colossi that are the incarnations of those idols. If thou defeat those colossi...the idols shall fall. Do this, and we shall return the souls of those thou hast lost. Sixteen of them, one for each idol thou destroys. Of course, two of them will be the man and woman behind thee.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Levi glanced behind him. "I see…"</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>But heed this, the journey will be a difficult and dangerous one, and the price you pay may be heavy indeed.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Levi thought back to the countless people he'd lost over the years, the lives that had been cut short, the dreams that had been dashed, the sacrifices they'd made. If he could give even a few of them another chance at life…</p><p>He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. If what you say is true, I have no choice but to try."</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>Very well. Raise thy sword by the light...and head to the place where the sword's light gathers...There, thou shalt find the colossi thou art to defeat.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Levi looked beyond the altar, and could see the land stretching out into the distance until it reached a series of cliffs. He held the sword up, and was surprised to see a faint glow running along the edge.</p><p>He frowned. <em>What exactly does he mean by where the sword's light gathers?</em></p><p>He walked past the altar and through the pillars holding up the temple, and raised the sword again. This time, the light split into several separate beams shooting out from the tip of the blade.</p><p>His eyes widened in shock. He shifted the angle he was holding the blade at, and the beams suddenly converged on a single point in the distance. He looked, and could see that they were pointing directly south from the temple, toward a narrow opening within the cliffs.</p><p>He pointed the sword away, and the beams of light splintered once again.</p><p>He lowered the sword. <em>This is very strange. Useful, but strange. I doubt it's natural. I know a little bit about how light refraction works, since Hange…</em></p><p>He stiffened, then pushed the thought aside. He wasn't entirely sure if she was still alive or not, and didn't want to dwell on that either way.</p><p>He walked back into the chamber, and climbed onto Agro's back once more. He then directed the horse toward the set of stairs that lead out of the temple and into the land beyond.</p><p>A moment later the clopping of hooves against stone gave way to the dull thud of hooves against the earthy ground as Agro began to gallop south. With the body of the man and woman now gone, Levi was free to make Agro move faster, and though it was obvious already that Agro wasn't nearly as swift as the Scouts' horses, he would still make the journey to the southern cliffs much quicker than if he'd had to walk there on foot.</p><p>Agro and his rider passed by several small rocky formations and a single lonely tree. Above them a handful of birds flew, but aside from their cries the land felt unnaturally quiet and still.</p><p>As they neared the cliffs, Levi could see a set of stairs leading up into the opening, as well as the ruins of some kind of building or structure that had been built into the cliffs, now overgrown with vines and moss and weathered by countless years of erosion.</p><p>Levi couldn't help but wonder what had happened to this desolate place.</p><p>While Agro was able to make it up the stairs, it quickly became apparent that Levi would have to ascend the rest of the way on his own. The task would have been much easier if he still had his ODM gear, but fortunately there appeared to be enough hand holds and protrusions to make climbing up without it possible.</p><p>He climbed off of Agro, and then immediately began to ascend using a nearby clump of vines and overgrown grass. After reaching the first rocky ledge, he carefully followed it further in, casually leaping over a gap that had formed separating one side from the other.</p><p>After carefully ascending some more, he found himself with a rather stunning view looking back at the temple, and the land stretching off to either side. But he knew his goal was further in, so he turned around and continued to climb.</p><p>As he reached the top of the cliff, he was able to see that he had emerged in what looked like a small enclosed canyon when suddenly a dull roar ripped through the air.</p><p>The first thing he saw was a massive hoof stomping on the ground just a short distance in front of him, sending small bits of rock and dust into the air with the force of the impact. A second hoof appeared, and Levi got a good look at the first Colossus he had been asked to kill.</p><p>It was roughly humanoid in shape and about twice the size of the Attack Titan, with thick dark fur and an earthy hide covered in what looked like some kind of armor loosely hanging on parts of its body. It held a massive club in its right hand.</p><p>The Colossus didn't appear to have noticed Levi, as it kept walking right on by, its footsteps shaking the ground and rumbling the air.</p><p>Levi suddenly felt rather naked without his ODM gear, and the sword he was holding didn't feel like the most reassuring weapon. The only positive was that this thing seemed to be moving much slower than a Titan, so at least he would have time to react when it inevitably noticed him.</p><p>He began to follow it, his eyes roaming its massive body. How was he supposed to kill it? Did it have a weak spot, like the nape for the Titans?</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>Hold up thy sword to reflect the light onto the Colossus. Its vitals shall be revealed.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Levi stiffened in shock, but from the Colossus's non reaction Levi quickly realized that only he had heard the voice.</p><p>He held up the sword, and once more the beams of light scattered, then converged. He was quickly able to see that they pointed at the Colossus's left foot, and at its head.</p><p>
  <em>So, it looks like it does have weak spots. Well then, time to get to work.</em>
</p><p>Feeling slightly calmer now, Levi ran up and leaped onto the Colossus's left foot, grabbing onto the fur with his left hand and holding onto the sword with his right.</p><p>As he did so, he could see a faint glowing scar on the back of the heel. Without hesitation, he pulled the sword back, and stabbed the scar.</p><p>The Colossus let out an enraged bellow, and fell to its hands and knees.</p><p>Levi used the armor on the back of the Colossus's left leg to propel himself up, and quickly climbed up the leg and onto the Colossus's back using its fur.</p><p>The Colossus tried to shake him off by shifting its back from side to side, but this had no effect, and Levi was quickly able to run along its back and to its head.</p><p>
  <em>Aha!</em>
</p><p>On top of its head he saw a massive glowing white sigil. Instantly knowing that this must be its weak spot, he grabbed hold tight, pulled the blade back, and plunged it into the sigil.</p><p>The Colossus let out another bellow of pain, and as Levi pulled the sword back out he saw what looked like black sand pouring out of the wound.</p><p>Fully expecting the Colossus to reach up and grab him, Levi kept a sharp eye on its hands, ready to move out of the way if they began to move toward him.</p><p>He pulled the sword back again, and stabbed the sigil once more.</p><p>The Colossus's body shuddered, and then like a massive tree being felled it collapsed to the ground with a thunderous boom, dropping its club and going limp. It was dead.</p><p>Levi leaped off of the head and landed smoothly on the ground.</p><p>
  <em>Huh. That wasn't so hard.</em>
</p><p>He looked back to admire his work, but was startled to see that the Colossus's body was darkening, and several strange black tendrils were coming out of it.</p><p>Before he could react, the tendrils spiraled toward him and impaled him.</p><p>He gasped in pain, as it felt like countless needles were being shoved through his skin and deep into his body.</p><p>Unable to remain standing, he fell to his knees and collapsed on the ground, his consciousness leaving him as the darkness pulled him under.</p>
<hr/><p>Author's Note: I know that most people spend Easter focusing on the death and resurrection of Jesus, but personally I felt like focusing on the death and resurrection of a much more compelling fictional character.</p><p>And with that unapologetically blasphemous joke out of the way, this story is actually an idea I've had ever since Levi first got blown up by the thunder spear in the manga. I was kind of disappointed when he became Schrodinger's cat for a while, and even more disappointed when it turned out he didn't actually die, as originally I'd planned this story as being Levi's way of finding closure after his death, and also bringing back some of his loved ones from the dead in the process. Initially I'd planned on waiting until the manga ended to see when (and indeed if) Levi died, but considering the last few chapters went off the rails in a way that the final chapter can't make up for no matter how good it is I decided, fuck it, I'm just going to run with what if Levi died from the thunder spear. And when you look at how things played out, really you'd just need to make a few minor tweaks and Levi's absence wouldn't affect the overall story at all.</p><p>For those of you who didn't already figure it out, this is a crossover between Attack on Titan and Shadow of the Colossus, with Levi taking over the role of the protagonist of the game. If you haven't played Shadow of the Colossus, you should really go do that. Like right now. As soon as possible. Mainly because it's one of the best games ever made, but also because this story won't have as much of an impact or make as much sense if you haven't.</p><p>This is another story that I will probably continue at some point, but for now I just wanted to get the premise out there to see what other people thought of it. This will be the last crossover story for the foreseeable future, the rest of the stories I've got planned are all contained within the AOT universe. The next one is quite long, but should hopefully be out within a week. Hopefully.</p><p>Anyways, be sure to let me know what you thought.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. A Better Ending</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Niccolo flinched as he heard another scream echoing through the house, his heart going out to the queen as her labor continued to drag on.</p><p>He walked out through the front door and entered the side entrance of another nearby building, where the Braus family was waiting for him.</p><p>Mr. Braus looked concerned. "How is she?"</p><p>Niccolo shrugged half heartedly. "Not too good, but the doctors said that everything seems normal. Well, as normal as it can be when you go into labor two months earlier than you were supposed to."</p><p>Mr. Braus pulled his wife into a side hug, while Kaya and the other children looked at the floor sadly.</p><p>Niccolo had barely managed to escort the Braus family back to their home when they had received word that Historia had gone into premature labor. As Sasha had been close friends with her, and she had looked after the children for a time at her orphanage before Mr. and Mrs. Braus took them in, they had wanted to be there for her to do what they could to help.</p><p>Unfortunately for them, it appeared that the situation, while unexpected and stressful, was already under control, leaving them with nothing to do apart from waiting.</p><p>Niccolo forced a smile. "Well, I saw that this place has a decently sized kitchen. We never did get to finish our meal celebrating Sasha. If you would like, I can put something together."</p><p>Mrs. Braus let out a smile, one that appeared genuine. "That sounds lovely. We can celebrate Sasha's life, and the birth of Historia's child."</p><p>As Niccolo and Mrs. Braus entered the kitchen, Niccolo found his thoughts returning to the young queen, knowing that she was still at that very moment in great pain, and this pain would continue until her child was born.</p><p>It was one of the many cruel ironies of this world that joy and sorrow were always so intertwined.</p><hr/><p>The remains of the Beast Titan lay underneath the Armored Titan, as Reiner had pinned it down against the surface of one of the Founding Titan's many enormous ribs.</p><p>They'd expected more resistance, and were surprised when the Titan went limp almost immediately after Reiner had tackled it.</p><p>As they examined the nape more closely, they were able to see why.</p><p>Levi scowled. "No wonder there was no response. It's just an empty shell."</p><p>Armin looked down at the dissolving husk of the Beast Titan's body from his perch on Reiner's left shoulder with a frown. "It's the same technique used when we fought the Warhammer Titan. Zeke's real body must be somewhere else."</p><p>Jean tapped his foot impatiently against Reiner's right shoulder. "So we're supposed to find a single human body hidden somewhere among this heap of bones? That's impossible."</p><p>Jean turned to look at the 15th commander of the Survey Corp seriously. "Armin, there's no other way."</p><p>Armin gritted his teeth. "I know."</p><p>He raised his voice. "I'll blow this place up using the Colossal Titan! All of you get out of here!"</p><p>Mikasa looked at him anxiously. "Armin…"</p><p>Sensing her fears, Armin tried to reassure her. "Eren is expecting this attack, it won't kill him. But if we blow these bones apart we might be able to figure out Eren and Zeke's real location!"</p><p>Mikasa nodded reluctantly.</p><p>Armin descended to the surface of the rib, while Reiner began to move away.</p><p>Jean called down to him. "If anything happens, don't worry about us, just blow it up immediately!"</p><p>With that, Reiner, Pieck, Levi, Mikasa, Jean, and Connie began to flee toward the front of Eren's Founding Titan, running along the edge of his spine to get clear of Armin's transformation.</p><p>As he watched them leave, Armin found his thoughts turning to the man who had held the reins of the Survey Corp before himself and Hange.</p><p>The man who had been willing to give up everything, even his own life and dreams, for the good of humanity.</p><p>
  <em>Someone who can't sacrifice anything can't change anything. Erwin knew that. Eren clearly does too.</em>
</p><p>Armin's grip on the thunder spears tightened. <em>Eren...I understand why you're doing this, I really do...but I can't just stand by and let millions of people be trampled without at least trying to change the outcome.</em></p><p>He slowly began to raise his right hand up to his mouth. <em>So I have to throw away my sweet, naive dreams, and accept that there is no other way. We have to-</em></p><p>Suddenly, a burst of steam came from behind him, and the next second he found himself tumbling into a Titan's mouth.</p><p>Before he could yell in shock, the Titan's tongue wrapped around his body and forced itself into his mouth, preventing him from biting down on his own tongue.</p><p>Armin briefly caught a glimpse of a young girl in rags standing a short distance away, her cold eyes fixed on him, before the jaws of the Titan snapped shut, shrouding him in darkness.</p><p>"Armin?!"</p><p>Jean's yell got everyone's attention, and they all turned around in time to see Armin being eaten by Eren's Attack Titan.</p><p>Mikasa stared at the Titan in disbelief.</p><p>
  <em>No way. Is that Eren? But...I thought we were standing on Eren...what is going on?</em>
</p><p>It's goal of preventing the Colossal Titan from appearing completed, the Attack Titan began to run back toward the rear of the Founding Titan.</p><p>The first one to recover from this shocking turn of events, Jean readied his ODM gear. "We can't let him get away!"</p><p>"Above us!" Levi yelled.</p><p>They all looked up, and saw that the Beast Titan had appeared again, and was drawing its arm back. All of them dove behind a nearby spine pillar just before it threw more projectiles that would have killed them instantly if they hadn't taken shelter in time.</p><p>Levi soared up through the air toward the Beast Titan, an enraged bellow exploding from his lips.</p><p>"ZEKE!"</p><p>Connie looked back and forth frantically between the Beast Titan and the Attack Titan.</p><p>"What should we-"</p><p>He spotted some movement out of the corner of his eye, and was just barely able to dive out of the way of a massive hammer before it slammed into the side of the pillar that he had just been resting against.</p><p>The Warhammer Titan pulled back its hammer for another strike, but before it could Reiner rushed up behind it, and Jean fired a thunder spear into its nape. It exploded, and the Titan instantly collapsed to the ground.</p><p>"Behind you!" Mikasa screeched.</p><p>A massive, burly 15 meter Titan with a thick beard rushed at Reiner, tackling him from behind, its arms wrapping around Reiner's shoulders and shoving him into the nearby spine pillar.</p><p>Mikasa readied her thunder spears, but was unable to help due to the sudden appearance of another Titan right next to her.</p><p>Shrouded in a cloud of steam, this one was a fourteen meter class with feminine features and black hair, a furious glare on its face.</p><p>Mikasa was able to dodge its attempt to grab her, but was unable to get in close enough to finish it off.</p><p>Fortunately for her, Connie fired a thunder spear at the Titan's foot, causing it to stumble and giving Mikasa the opening she needed to kill it.</p><p>Before the burly Titan could do Reiner any real harm, Pieck had swooped in and tore out its nape with her hardened fingertips.</p><p>A golden mist began to leak out of the bodies of the Warhammer Titan and the other two Titans, and the mist was quickly absorbed into the nearby bones of the Founding Titan. Before their original bodies had fully disintegrated the three Titans reappeared a short distance away, looking slightly more wary.</p><p>Jean looked at their foes in astonishment. "What the hell is going on? That's the Warhammer Titan, but what are the other two?"</p><p>Pieck eyed them cautiously. "<strong>I think I know. We know that Eren has three of the Nine Titans: The Attack Titan, the Founding Titan, and the Warhammer Titan. These must be the forms of the people who held these Titans before Eren, the people that he ate.</strong>"</p><p>Mikasa peered at the three Titans, and realized that Pieck was probably right. The Warhammer Titan she instantly recognized from the battle at Liberio. As she looked carefully at the bearded Titan, she realized it did look a bit like Eren's father Grisha. And the feminine looking Titan did resemble some of the paintings she'd seen done of Frieda Reiss, the last member of the royal family to hold the Founding Titan.</p><p>She frowned. "But Eren didn't eat Frieda, his father did!"</p><p>"<strong>Well, the Founding Titan never manifested itself in Eren's father, plus from what I understand Eren's father possessed the Founding Titan for such a brief time that it makes no real difference.</strong>"</p><p>"Then what about the Titan that took Armin?" Jean asked. "And the one that Levi is fighting right now?"</p><p>"<strong>If I had to guess, since Eren held the Attack and Founding Titans the longest, he can summon each one independently and simultaneously, so his Founding Titan form is what we're standing on, while his Attack Titan form is the one that captured Armin so that he couldn't use the Colossal Titan against him. As for the Beast Titan, I can only assume that Zeke's real body is embedded somewhere in this pile of bones, and Eren is forcing Zeke to help him.</strong>"</p><p>Connie grimaced. "Then the only way we're going to be able to find Eren and Zeke in time is if we get Armin back."</p><p>Pieck smiled bitterly. "<strong>Yes, but the Titans are in our way. And haven't you noticed? They aren't dying. Levi must have already killed the Beast Titan at least three times, and yet it keeps coming back. And it looks as though the same is true of the others.</strong>"</p><p>Connie looked at the approaching three Titans nervously. "Then how are we supposed to defeat them?"</p><p>"<strong>Simple. We aren't.</strong>"</p><p>Turning away from their approaching foes, Pieck began to run straight toward the front of the Founding Titan as fast as she could, which for the Cart Titan was quite fast.</p><p>"Eh?!"</p><p>"What are you-"</p><p>
  <em>Pieck?</em>
</p><p>"Wait!"</p><p>Connie, Jean, Reiner, and Mikasa tried to go after her, but the three enemy Titans intercepted them, forcing them to fight once more.</p><p>As Pieck raced along the edge of the Founding Titan's spine, her gaze hardened.</p><p>
  <em>I can understand how you all still have feelings of affection for your former comrade Eren, just as I still harbor some feelings of affection for Zeke. But there's too much at stake for us to let our emotions dictate our actions. Eren himself said that the only way to stop him was to kill him. That's what I came for.</em>
</p><p>The Beast Titan swooped away from Levi after coming back to life for the fifth time, and tried to chuck more projectiles at her. Unfortunately for it, the throw was rather hasty and sloppy, and Pieck was able to dodge it with ease.</p><p>
  <em>This was my target from the start. The nape of the Attack Titan!</em>
</p><p>Pieck wrapped the explosives she had been carrying around Eren's nape so that they curled all the way around.</p><p>She then exited the nape of her Titan and grabbed hold of the detonator.</p><p>"Now perish, nightmare!"</p><p>But before she could push the detonator all the way down, her Titan was impaled by a massive trident, causing her to yelp in shock and pain and inadvertently drop the detonator.</p><p>"No!" She cried as it fell out of her reach.</p><p>She turned around, and saw the Titan that had impaled her.</p><p>The Titan was pure white, and appeared to be wearing a large hood that covered most of its face, including its eyes. The only features that were not obscured by the hood were a few strains of black hair peeking out of the sides and falling to the Titan's shoulders, and the Titan's massive mouth full of sharp, serrated teeth.</p><p>Her eyes widened in horror.</p><p>
  <em>That must be Eren's Warhammer Titan form.</em>
</p><p>Without warning, Eren's Warhammer Titan swung the trident around and hurled Pieck into the nearest spine pillar, fracturing multiple bones in her Titan and knocking her unconscious in the process.</p><p>The Beast Titan peered down at Pieck's motionless form, and before Levi could stop it hurled more projectiles at Pieck.</p><p>Fortunately for her, Jean swooped in, grabbed her, and just barely managed to avoid the projectiles that utterly shredded Pieck's Titan body.</p><p>Jean eyed Eren's Warhammer Titan warily, but it made no sign of moving from its spot near the Founding Titan's nape, though its gaze was fixed on him.</p><p>Further back along the Founding Titan's spine, the battle was slowly but surely turning against the alliance. Lara Tybur's Warhammer Titan had formed a defensive perimeter of spikes around itself, and was providing weapons for Grisha and Frieda's Titans. Reiner, Mikasa, and Connie were holding them at bay for the moment, but given that the enemy Titans couldn't die they didn't know how long they could keep it up.</p><p>As Jean came back to the group, he looked anxiously at Pieck's still unconscious form, unsure of how he was supposed to protect her and fight at the same time.</p><p>High above them, Levi continued to fight the Beast Titan, but Levi could tell that he was in trouble. He'd been able to kill the Beast Titan no problem, but since the Beast Titan wouldn't stay dead, it was quickly turning into a battle of attrition that he knew he couldn't win. As strong as he was, he had limited stamina, limited gas, and limited blades. Add in his injuries which were handicapping him, and he didn't know how long he would be able to last.</p><p>Then, as he killed the Beast Titan for the tenth time (or was it the ninth? He wasn't sure) the situation became worse.</p><p>As his blades sliced through the nape once again, he suddenly spotted a cloud of steam emanating from one of the distant spine pillars, and appearing from it was another Titan.</p><p>At first glance it looked just like the Beast Titan, but a second glance enabled Levi to see several distinct differences. While it had roughly the same type of furry body, the proportions were slightly different, with arms and legs that were shorter but bulkier. The fur was also a darker color.</p><p>But the most glaring difference was the head. While Zeke's Beast Titan had apelike features, this Titan had the head of a wolf.</p><p>And as Levi looked at its face, his eyes widened in disbelief.</p><p>
  <em>No way...is that...Eren's Beast Titan?</em>
</p><p>The second Beast Titan drew back its arm, took careful aim, and hurled a cluster of projectiles at Levi.</p><p>So shocked by this new Titan, and with his injuries slowing his reaction time, Levi was just barely able to dive out of the way. And as he did so, he briefly lost control of his gear, and slammed hard into the side of the spine pillar, breaking two ribs in the process.</p><p>Lara's Titan looked up. Seeing that Levi was on his last legs, it swung its hammer up, and slammed it against the side of the spine pillar.</p><p>A series of cracks ran all along the spine pillar until it reached the area where Levi was, and an entire section of the pillar detached and began to descend down onto the area where the alliance was fighting against the Titans.</p><p>All of them looked up in alarm, and the pillar smashed against the ribs, sending tons of dust and debris flying in all directions.</p><p>The people at the fort looked at the Founding Titan fearfully, unable to tell how the battle was going.</p><p>Forced to suddenly scatter, all the members of the alliance ended up below the ribs of the Founding Titan, their gear being the only thing preventing them from plummeting to their deaths.</p><p>Pieck looked slightly dizzy. "Ugh...I...I just need...a minute or two...to heal...and then I can transform again…"</p><p>Jean looked down grimly as he held her. "I don't think we have a minute or two."</p><p>Frieda's Titan made a grab for them, but Mikasa quickly sliced through the nape before it could.</p><p>Levi was bracing himself against a nearby pillar, the pain of his injuries overwhelming him.</p><p>At the same time, Connie was holding onto Reiner by one hand, just barely preventing him from falling.</p><p>Reiner looked up apologetically. "Sorry. My ODM gear has been damaged."</p><p>Connie grimaced. "Mine too. I can't get rid of the right handle."</p><p>Grisha's Titan tried to pounce on them, but Mikasa twirled through the air and killed it once more.</p><p>"Connie!" Reiner called up. "Let go! I can transform into a Titan again!"</p><p>"Oh yeah?" Connie smiled sarcastically. "And what the hell will you do down there apart from getting trampled by the rumbling? You're supposed to be the Armored Titan, but you're completely useless! It's a miracle you've survived this long when all you do is get your ass kicked! By Eren, by Levi, by Mikasa, by Zeke, hell even by me and Jean that one time! The only thing you ever did right was break down a wall, and I bet you would have fucked that up too if it hadn't been a stationary target!"</p><p>Reiner let out a reluctant chuckle. "Do you still think we have a chance to win?"</p><p>Connie's smile became resigned. "No. But at least we will fight to the bitter end. We're all crazy after all, that's why we joined the Survey Corp, right?"</p><p>Mikasa killed Lara's Titan once more, and got ready to fight Frieda and Grisha's Titans again. But she could see through the ribs that both Beast Titans were slowly but surely descending toward them, and that as soon as they had a clear shot on the alliance they were finished.</p><p>If this really was the end…</p><p>Mikasa brandished her blades at the advancing Titans. "Come at me! I am strong, and I will keep on fighting no matter what!"</p><p>"Mikasa, you're acting a little crazy!"</p><p>Mikasa turned around in shock. "Huh?!"</p><p>The others were utterly stunned at what they were seeing.</p><p>Coming directly toward them was what appeared to be a gigantic bird, its wingspan so long it would have almost matched the length of the airplane's wings.</p><p>"Got you!"</p><p>Putting aside their confusion for the moment, Mikasa, Reiner, Connie, Jean, Pieck, and Levi quickly got onto the bird, grabbing hold of the net that had been placed on its back.</p><p>The Beast Titans hurled more projectiles, trying to take down the bird and its passengers, but the bird dove down and managed to dodge the attacks before flaring its wings out and soaring out from under the Founding Titan's massive body.</p><p>"I didn't think this Titan could fly, but here we are. Since it flies, I had no choice but to come."</p><p>"Annie!" The others cried.</p><p>Annie let out a small smile. "But...I'm glad I came back."</p><p>Reiner's jaw dropped when he saw who else was on the flying Titan. "Gabi?! What are you doing here?!"</p><p>She looked at him angrily, one of her hands resting on an anti-Titan rifle. "What did you expect when you left us behind like that?! You know that we can fight too!"</p><p>"The Azumabito ship sank." Annie said matter of factly.</p><p>Mikasa turned toward her sharply. "What?!"</p><p>"It couldn't withstand Falco's transformation. We weren't even sure that he could fly, but Kiyomi was okay with it all and let us go."</p><p>Gabi nodded earnestly. "That's why we need to stop the rumbling! We need to repay her kindness!"</p><p>Reiner looked at her uncertainly. "Gabi…"</p><p>He leaned down and lightly punched the nape of the Jaw Titan.</p><p>"Falco...do you remember your promise to me?"</p><p>Falco's gaze hardened as he recalled that moment on the train.</p><p>
  <em>Of course I do Mister Braun.</em>
</p><p>Annie froze as she realized someone was missing from the group. "Wait. Where's Armin?"</p><p>Mikasa bowed her head. "Armin's been captured by Eren. He was swallowed by Eren's Attack Titan, which then fled to the tailbone of Eren's Founding Titan."</p><p>She looked up desperately. "Annie, please help us."</p><p>Annie sighed. "Your childhood friends just love getting kidnapped, don't they? Of course, I'll help get him back."</p><p>Pieck tilted her head thoughtfully. "I think I've figured out what's going on. Eren now has the power of four Titans, the Founding Titan, the Attack Titan, the Warhammer Titan, and the Beast Titan. He can summon both his own forms of these Titans, and the forms of the people he's eaten who held these Titans before him."</p><p>Levi felt his heart sink, as this meant that Zeke was likely already…</p><p>Pieck continued. "So not counting Eren's Founding Titan form, we're up against seven powerful Titans. And it seems that Eren can use the Founding Titan's power to endlessly revive these Titans even when they're killed, so we'll have to cripple them and go around them instead."</p><p>Annie nodded slowly. "I see."</p><p>Reiner spoke up. "Pieck also managed to wrap some explosives around the nape of Eren's Founding Titan form, though she wasn't able to detonate them. Removing them would be a delicate task that I don't think the Titans are capable of, so they should still be there, ready to be detonated if we can reach them."</p><p>"Both...we're doing both."</p><p>Everyone turned to look at Levi.</p><p>Levi glanced at them seriously. "One group will rescue Armin so that we can use the Colossal Titan's transformation. The other group will go after the nape and try to trigger the explosives. We'll split into two teams and do it simultaneously."</p><p>Mikasa eyed him nervously. "Captain?"</p><p>"We're not in a place where we can be concerned about Eren any longer." Levi's gaze fell. "No...we never were to begin with."</p><p>Mikasa protested. "But-"</p><p>"But?!" Connie cried. "But what?! We would have died back there if it wasn't for this flying miracle we're on right now!"</p><p>"Yeah…" Jean murmured quietly. "Without having accomplished a thing…"</p><p>Mikasa looked at him fearfully. "Jean…"</p><p>Levi gritted his teeth. "There was a whole lot I wanted to tell that idiot, but...damn it…"</p><p>Connie nodded sadly. "I'm the same! I don't want to give up on Eren! But this is the Founding Titan we're up against! Did you really think we would be able to go easy on it?!"</p><p>Jean closed his eyes, his face anguished.</p><p>"Mikasa. We need to...kill Eren."</p><p>A look of utter despair came onto Mikasa's face, tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes.</p><p>Deep down she'd known it would likely come to this. And yet despite everything, she'd never given up hope that they would find another way, that they could bring Eren back. But now…</p><p>Annie roughly pulled Mikasa around so that she was facing her.</p><p>"Mikasa, just focus on saving Armin! You don't need to think about anything else!"</p><p>Mikasa was silent for a moment before quietly responding.</p><p>"...okay."</p><p>A somber silence fell over the group. Falco's Titan was circling around the fort and preparing to head back toward the Founding Titan.</p><p>"I wonder…"</p><p>Annie turned toward Gabi. "What?"</p><p>"I shot Eren's head off with an anti-Titan rifle right before he managed to touch Mister Zeke. When I did, something jumped out of Eren's spine. It looked like a shining centipede or something and it connected to Eren's head."</p><p>Annie winced. "What? Gross."</p><p>Gabi frowned thoughtfully. "If that's the true nature of the power of the Titans...we always knew that the Founding Titan was the coordinate from which all the other Titan powers came. But we don't know what would happen if the Founding Titan died without the power being passed on. For the other Titans the power gets passed on to a random Eldian child. But in the case of the Founding Titan...if it was destroyed, would the power of the Titans cease to exist?"</p><p>The others pondered this.</p><p>Reiner shrugged. "I guess we'll find out soon enough."</p><p>As Falco flew over the fort, he looked down at the people below with his keen Titan vision.</p><p>
  <em>Wait a minute. Are those…</em>
</p><p>Without warning, Falco swooped down toward the fort, jostling his passengers slightly.</p><p>Pieck looked at him in surprise. "Falco? What are you doing?"</p><p>Falco flapped his wings and landed near the edge of the fort. A moment later, a small crowd of people gathered around them.</p><p>Reiner froze in shock. "No way."</p><p>The Warriors quickly jumped off of Falco's back and ran toward some familiar faces.</p><p>"Mom! Dad!" Gabi cried.</p><p>She ran up and embraced her parents, tears streaming down all three of their faces.</p><p>"Gabi!"</p><p>"We never thought we'd see you again!"</p><p>Pieck threw her arms around her father.</p><p>"Pieck!"</p><p>"Dad! I'm so glad you're okay!"</p><p>After being told where Falco was, his parents clambered onto his back, where he partially emerged from the nape.</p><p>"Falco!"</p><p>"Oh thank goodness you're alright! But what happened?"</p><p>Falco rubbed his head nervously. "Um, long story short I inherited the Jaw Titan from mister Galliard."</p><p>Further back, Annie froze as she spotted someone she thought she'd never see again.</p><p>"Annie." Her father breathed.</p><p>"Dad." She whispered.</p><p>They stared at each other for a moment, unsure of what to say.</p><p>She smiled weakly. "Well...I made it back alive."</p><p>He held up his arms as the tears began to flow. "My daughter…"</p><p>They hugged, and Annie found herself crying as well.</p><p>He sobbed. "I'm sorry for the hell I put you through. It must have been awful on that island."</p><p>She let out a watery chuckle. "It...it actually wasn't as bad as you might think. Despite what we were told, there are good people there."</p><p>She looked back at Falco, where she could see Mikasa, Levi, Jean, and Connie still sitting on his back.</p><p>Jean smiled softly as he saw all the heartwarming reunions. "This...this is what we're fighting for."</p><p>Connie nodded. "Yeah."</p><p>"Heh. It would be nice if we were given one last chance to say goodbye to our families before heading back into the fire."</p><p>Connie snorted. "Yeah. But that's just not possible."</p><p>Jean glanced away from the crowd of Eldians, and as he did so he spotted a little girl standing a short distance away.</p><p>"Who is-"</p><p>Suddenly, without warning, Connie and Jean found themselves in the paths once more.</p><p>"What the hell?!" Connie exclaimed.</p><p>The little girl was still standing in the same spot, but behind her they saw three people further away.</p><p>As he peered at them more closely, Connie froze in shock as he recognized one of them.</p><p>"No way." He whispered. "Mom? Mom!"</p><p>Without hesitation he ran toward her.</p><p>As Jean looked at the other two people, he could see that they were his own parents.</p><p>He scowled. "Tch. Eren really should stop eavesdropping on our conversations, it's getting to be a bad habit of his."</p><p>But Jean had to admit that he felt relieved that he was getting the chance to say goodbye.</p><p>He slowly walked up to his parents.</p><p>Connie embraced his mother tearfully. "Mom, is it really you?"</p><p>"Of course it is. What kind of question is that? I'm not getting that old yet."</p><p>Connie pulled away, laughing nervously. "N-no, of course not."</p><p>She sighed sadly. "I wish your father and siblings could be here, but they're out of town for the week visiting your uncle in Karanes."</p><p>Connie blinked. "Huh?"</p><p>He looked around, and for a moment the sandy terrain faded and he could see what his mother was seeing. They were standing in a recreation of their old house, before Ragako was destroyed and everything was taken from them.</p><p>He realized that Eren must have provided her with this illusion rather than explaining the truth of what was really happening, as that would be both confusing and traumatizing.</p><p>Not wanting to burst her bubble, Connie decided to play along with the fantasy, as it was one he himself had often imagined.</p><p>"Oh. Th-that's okay. I'm...I'm just glad to see you again."</p><p>She smiled warmly. "It's good to see you again too sweetie. You've grown a lot since your last visit. And now you're a full fledged soldier."</p><p>She looked out of a nearby window, her smile fading.</p><p>"I...I won't lie...I was rather frightened when I got your letter...saying you had joined the Scouts. And that fear has only increased with time. Your friend Eren...he dropped by earlier and told me a little about your upcoming mission. Apparently this next expedition will determine the fate of humanity."</p><p>Her hands began to tremble. "But...there's a very good chance that most or all of you won't make it back."</p><p>Connie felt a lump in his throat. "...yeah. But...I can't just stand by and let humanity get destroyed, not when I could do something about it. I don't want to run away anymore. I...I've already tried that."</p><p>He remembered with shame how he had tried to feed Falco to his mother, and how he had considered turning a blind eye to what Eren was doing.</p><p>It would have been so easy to just ignore it, and live the rest of his life telling himself that the outside world had it coming, and there was nothing he could do. But…</p><p>"I want to be someone you can be proud of."</p><p>She smiled softly. "You already are. I know how hard of a decision it must have been, not only to join the Scouts, but to remain with them even after all the death you've seen. You're a brave young man."</p><p>She looked at him fearfully. "Just...if it's not too much to ask...please...come back alive."</p><p>He smiled ruefully. "I'll do my best...but I don't want to make a promise I can't keep."</p><p>"I understand. I love you so much sweetheart."</p><p>"I love you too mom." He whispered.</p><p>He wrapped his arms around her, determined to hold onto her for as long as he could.</p><p>Eventually, though, he knew this moment would have to end.</p><p>After quite some time had passed, she reluctantly pulled away.</p><p>"Well...I guess you'd better go."</p><p>He nodded dismally. "Yeah…"</p><p>"I'll be praying for you. Now, go and save humanity."</p><p>"Right."</p><p>He savored what could be the last time he got to see his mother for as long as he could before he pushed open the front door and left the house.</p><p>And suddenly he was back on Falco's back as if none of it had ever happened.</p><p>Mikasa looked at them in concern. "Are you guys okay? Why are you crying?"</p><p>Connie touched his cheeks, and realized tears were running down his face.</p><p>"Nothing." Jean interjected, even as he wiped his eyes against his sleeve. "It's nothing."</p><p>Mikasa looked unconvinced, but didn't push it. Levi, meanwhile, had his gaze fixed on the approaching Founding Titan.</p><p>Connie felt bad for the two of them, knowing that since their parents were dead, the only way they would get to speak with them again would be if they joined them.</p><p>Reiner looked down at his mom seriously.</p><p>"Mother, it's good to see you. But, we can't stay. We've got a job to do."</p><p>She looked up at him fearfully. "Reiner...I…"</p><p>He raised his voice. "Everyone, get back on Falco! We need to go!"</p><p>"Hold it right there!"</p><p>Several Marleyan soldiers had surrounded the small crowd of Eldians and were pointing guns at them.</p><p>"You lot are Eldians, aren't you?! What are you doing here? And you! Some of you are devils from that island! Have you come to finish us off yourselves?!"</p><p>Mikasa looked at them anxiously, while Levi let out an irritated sigh.</p><p>"For the love of God, we're on your side!" Reiner shouted impatiently. "Don't you recognize me?! I'm Warchief Braun! We came to stop the rumbling!"</p><p>"Then why'd you run away, huh?! You were on the Founding Titan's back, and instead of killing it you came over here! I bet you're in cahoots with it!"</p><p>"We were trying to kill it, but our initial attack failed and we left to regroup and try again! And we really need to-"</p><p>"A likely story! We won't fall for your tricks you filthy-!"</p><p>Without warning, a gunshot ripped through the air.</p><p>Everyone flinched and looked around wildly, trying to see who had fired and if anyone had been hit.</p><p>Everyone quickly spotted Muller, who had fired a blank straight up into the air.</p><p>He lowered his gun and looked at his soldiers angrily.</p><p>"Enough of this nonsense! For the love of all that is holy, the apocalypse is right at our doorstep and instead of focusing on stopping it we're pointing guns at each other? Maybe we deserve to be trampled if this is the best we can do."</p><p>The Marleyan soldiers were stunned by this statement.</p><p>Muller gestured at Reiner. "All of you know Warchief Braun and Pieck, you're well aware of the bravery and loyalty they've shown serving our country. Why are you so quick to turn on them when all along they did what we asked of them?"</p><p>The Marleyan soldiers looked at the ground uncomfortably.</p><p>Muller glanced at the people on Falco's back. "And as for those from the island...well, it should be obvious to anyone who gives it a moment's thought why they are here. They are here to stop the rumbling and save humanity. If they weren't on our side, they would have stayed on the island and let Eren destroy us. They helped Reiner and the others reach this place, and they've fought alongside them, all while abandoning their home and people. The sacrifices they've made-"</p><p>"That's all well and good, but we don't have time for this!" Jean interrupted. "You can kiss our asses later if we make it through this alive, but for right now we need to go!"</p><p>Crude as his comment was, it did remind everyone of the reality of their situation. The Founding Titan was still far away, but the distance between it and the fort was shrinking with every passing second.</p><p>"Everybody on board!" Reiner shouted.</p><p>Falco's parents clambered off of Falco's back while the rest of the alliance climbed back on. Gabi's parents had wanted to protest and stop Gabi from going, but they knew that she would never agree to stay behind, and realistically the fort wasn't actually any safer.</p><p>Annie and Pieck said farewell to their fathers, grateful that they'd gotten to see them at least one more time.</p><p>As the alliance prepared to take off, Muller looked at them seriously. "All of you, every one of you, has my utmost respect."</p><p>Levi scowled. "Whatever."</p><p>One of the Marleyan soldiers shouted. "Now go and kill that monster!"</p><p>The crowd cheered, while Mikasa looked away, her eyes empty.</p><p>After spreading his wings, Falco took off, and the group was once more in the air.</p><p>As they left, Muller turned toward his soldiers.</p><p>"Now then, don't think we're just going to sit here and watch. We have a few cannons here, and while they won't be able to stop the Titans, they might slow them down. Hurry to battle stations!"</p><p>"Sir!"</p><p>As the Marleyan (and a few Eldian) soldiers prepared for the incoming Titans at the fort, Falco closed the distance between them and the Founding Titan.</p><p>"Falco!" Reiner called out. "Watch out for projectiles!"</p><p>As they neared the Founding Titan, they spotted the two Beast Titans near the top of some of the spine pillars. The two Titans pulled their arms back.</p><p>"Here they come! NOW!"</p><p>"Hold on!" Levi yelled.</p><p>Falco dived and dodged the Beast Titans' attacks, soaring right above the nape of the Founding Titan.</p><p>Jean pushed himself off. "Let's go!"</p><p>Levi readied his gear. "I'll distract the Beast Titans!"</p><p>Reiner sliced his hand. "We're leaving Armin to you!"</p><p>Levi swooped down and got to work distracting the two Beast Titans. Ignoring his usual instincts, he avoided the napes and instead sliced up their hands and eyes.</p><p>While he was doing this, Jean, Reiner, and Pieck descended down toward the nape, the latter two transforming into their Titan forms once more.</p><p>As they landed on the ribs, they could see that the enemy was waiting for them. Eren's Warhammer Titan was still standing near the nape, while Grisha and Frieda's Titans appeared in front of it.</p><p>Just as Lara's Titan had done, Eren's Warhammer Titan formed several weapons that it then gave to its comrades. It gave Grisha's Titan a mace, while Frieda's Titan was given a sword.</p><p>Reiner immediately began to grapple with Grisha's Titan, while Jean tried to go for Frieda's Titan.</p><p>However, it ignored him and went straight for Pieck.</p><p>Pieck rushed at it, but Frieda's Titan was prepared, and swung the sword down.</p><p>"No Pieck!" Jean yelled. "Get away!"</p><p>The Cart Titan was cut in half, and for a moment Jean thought she was dead.</p><p>But then he spotted her flying through the air behind Frieda's Titan, and realized she must have used the steam from her Titan body to propel herself into the air and out of the nape before the fatal blow was struck.</p><p>"Jean, if you think I'm a Titan that's only good for odd jobs and not fighting, you're dead wrong!"</p><p>She bit her finger, and immediately the Cart Titan appeared once again and clamped its jaws onto the nape of Frieda's Titan. It's body went limp, and the sword slipped from its hands and tumbled to the earth below.</p><p>The gold mist appeared from its body once more, and was absorbed by the Founding Titan's bones. A second later, Frieda's Titan appeared again behind the Cart Titan, its claws bearing down on its quadrupedal foe.</p><p>But just as before, Pieck used the steam to propel herself into the air and dodged the lethal strikes.</p><p>"With the Cart Titan's endurance, as long as they don't take me out, I can fight until we win."</p><p>She transformed again, and killed Frieda's Titan again.</p><p>"<strong>They can come back again and again, but so can I! So don't worry about me!</strong>"</p><p>Realizing that she had the situation under control, Jean turned away from her and headed further down the spine and toward the nape.</p><p>With Frieda's Titan distracted by Pieck and Grisha's Titan occupied by Reiner, all Jean had to do was slip past Eren's Warhammer Titan, and he would be able to detonate the explosives.</p><p>Unfortunately, this was proving to be easier said than done. It had conjured a protective barrier, and it had summoned a cat o' nine tails as its weapon of choice. The range on it was quite high, and it was all Jean could do to avoid being killed.</p><p>It also refused to be baited into leaving the spot it was guarding, and wasn't budging an inch.</p><p>Jean wiped the sweat off his brow.</p><p>
  <em>Damn it, how are we supposed to get past this thing?</em>
</p><p>With Levi keeping the Beast Titans busy, Falco was able to fly toward the rear of the Founding Titan without worrying about any further projectiles.</p><p>As they got close to the tailbone, they spotted Eren's Attack Titan below.</p><p>Mikasa's face was grim. "There he is."</p><p>"Go Falco!" Annie cried. "Let's get Armin back!"</p><p>As soon as they were close enough, Annie, Mikasa, and Connie leaped off of Falco's back and descended down to the tailbone. As they neared the bottom, Annie transformed, with the other two flanking her on either side with their ODM gear.</p><p>As they stared down Eren's Attack Titan, Annie found herself reminded of the last time she and Eren had fought.</p><p>She glanced at Mikasa out of the corner of her eye. <em>It would seem that fate has a rather ironic and twisted sense of humor.</em></p><p>Then, without warning, a massive hammer was swung at Annie's head.</p><p>Connie and Mikasa were able to dive out of the way in time, but Annie wasn't fast enough and her head was sent flying by the impact in a mess of blood and gore.</p><p>Lara's Warhammer Titan pulled the hammer back, and swung it down with full force onto the nape of the Female Titan.</p><p>Mikasa was just able to pull Annie out of the nape and soar out of the way before the hammer smashed the Female Titan's body into a pulp.</p><p>Before it could resume its attack, Connie fired a thunder spear into the eye of Lara's Titan, distracting it and impairing its vision.</p><p>Doing her best to not appear shaken by her close brush with death, Annie transformed once more, while Mikasa returned her gaze to Eren's Attack Titan.</p><p>While Lara's Titan was behaving very aggressively, the Attack Titan stood further away, and showed no signs of joining the fight.</p><p>Mikasa realized that this was most likely because the Attack Titan was holding Armin in it's mouth, and if it was killed or injured that could enable Armin to escape and transform.</p><p>As she looked at the Attack Titan, she felt a sharp pain in her head. Old memories of Eren came flooding back.</p><p>
  <em>Eren plugging the hole in Trost with that boulder. Eren using the Founding Titan for the first time to save her. Eren defying Levi to try to save Armin…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I'll always wrap your scarf around you.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I've always hated you.</em>
</p><p>Tears welled up in her eyes. <em>Why did things have to turn out this way?</em></p><p>On top of the spinal pillars, Levi's strength began to run out, and he was only able to keep Zeke's Beast Titan occupied. During one pass when he incapacitated Zeke's Titan once more, Eren's Beast Titan made a run for it, and began to head toward the back of the Founding Titan.</p><p>The only one still on Falco's back, Gabi instantly spotted Eren's Beast Titan as it made its way toward Mikasa's group.</p><p>"Oh no, the second Beast Titan is heading toward the rear! We have to stop it! Falco, if you can fly in at the correct angle, I might be able to hit it with this rifle."</p><p>Hearing her, Falco complied with her idea, and flew in at an angle that would enable Gabi to shoot down Eren's Beast Titan.</p><p>She lined up the shot, and fired.</p><p>Unfortunately for her, while her aim was good, her target was moving too much, and she only managed to shoot it in the ear, which had no effect other than to make the target angry.</p><p>Letting out a furious roar, Eren's Beast Titan summoned one large stone in its hand, and chucked it at Falco.</p><p>The stone punctured Falco's left wing, causing him to swerve and lose altitude. The sudden movement caused Gabi to lose her grip and fall.</p><p>"AAAAAHHHH!" She screamed.</p><p>Falco leaped down and managed to catch her with his left claws while gripping onto a nearby spine pillar with his feet and right claws, saving her from plummeting to her death.</p><p>
  <em>Got you!</em>
</p><p>The rifle continued to fall and disappeared from sight.</p><p>He gently deposited her onto his back, and she grasped the net with trembling fingers.</p><p>"Th-thanks."</p><p>But as they looked up they could see Eren's Beast Titan readying more projectiles, and Falco realized there was no way he would be able to dodge them.</p><p>But before it could kill them, Levi swooped in and sliced through the Beast Titan's ankles, causing it to lose its balance and fall.</p><p>However, because of his slowed reaction times, Levi was unable to retract his hook in time, and as Eren's Beast Titan fell off the spine pillar, Levi ended up being yanked down with it.</p><p>As they descended, Levi caught a glimpse of the other Beast Titan in the distance, steam rising from its body as it healed.</p><p>
  <em>Damn it...no matter what we do...they'll keep coming back...I don't think we can win...unless a miracle happens…</em>
</p><hr/><p>Armin stared down at his body in horror, somehow seeing it from the outside. It was lying still and immobile, with no visible signs of life at all.</p><p>He knelt down behind it.</p><p>"Why? Why won't my body move?"</p><p>He leaned over it, staring at it desperately. "Please, you have to move. Everyone's going to die. Reiner. Pieck. Gabi. Falco. Jean. Connie. Levi. Mikasa. Annie. Don't you get it?! They're all going to die! Wake up you useless idiot!"</p><p>Nothing happened. His body remained as unmoving as a corpse.</p><p>"I hate you!" Armin screamed. "I always have! You've never done anything but betray me! You should have died back then! Your life was given back, and with that came immense responsibilities and expectations that you had to live up to! But you haven't been able to give them a damn thing in return! So why are you just laying there dead like that?! Move! I SAID MOVE!"</p><p>Silence.</p><p>He collapsed to his hands and knees, tears of despair falling from his face onto the ground below.</p><p>As his hand curled into a fist, he realized that the ground was made of a coarse, rough substance.</p><p>He opened his hand.</p><p>"Sand?"</p><p>He frowned. "Think. If I really was dead, how would I be able to think with no oxygen coming to my brain."</p><p>He clenched his fist. "This isn't a dream. It's not a vision. It's not even the afterlife. This is the path. This is reality!"</p><p>He looked up, and in the distance he saw the coordinate, its vast form rising into the heavens like a massive tree made of light.</p><p>"I'm supposedly inside Eren's mouth right now. So why do I know what everyone's doing? It must be because all Eldians are connected through this path. In that case…"</p><p>He slowly stood up and looked around.</p><p>"There might be something I can do here. Yeah. Think. Think!"</p><p>He turned around, and froze when he realized that he wasn't alone.</p><p>A short distance away, a man wearing clothes that looked like they hadn't been washed in centuries was sitting on the ground and shaping the sand into some kind of mound.</p><p>Armin slowly walked over to the man and knelt down next to him.</p><p>"Hello Mister Zeke." Armin said quietly.</p><p>Zeke didn't take his eyes off of his task. "Hello Eren's friend. So Ymir ate you too."</p><p>Armin recalled the strange girl he'd seen right before he'd been swallowed by Eren.</p><p>"So Ymir is the one behind all this?"</p><p>Zeke shook his head slightly. "Ymir...Eren...it doesn't really make much of a difference at this point."</p><p>He continued to shape the sand, and the mound gradually got bigger and bigger.</p><p>Armin frowned. "What are you doing?"</p><p>"At the moment I'm making another Titan body for Pieck. She's gone through several already, but I suppose it's a good sign, as it means she's still alive and kicking if she can still request her Titan form."</p><p>Armin blinked. "Huh?"</p><p>"I suppose I should start at the beginning. It's not like there's anything better to do. The Founder Ymir. She's been one of the greatest mysteries of the last two thousand years. Who was she? How did she get her powers? Why have they persisted all this time? The answers to these questions have been obscured and twisted by myth and propaganda, but the truth is here in the paths if you know where to look. Ymir was once just a normal person, no different than you or I. However, one day her village was burned down, and all the survivors including herself were enslaved by the first Eldian king."</p><p>Armin looked at him sharply. "What?"</p><p>Zeke nodded. "Yes. It would seem that Eldians truly are descended from devils, but not because of their Titan powers. During her time in captivity, Ymir developed a slave mentality, coming to believe that she had no choice but to obey the King's orders. And this slave mentality remained even after she awakened the power of the Titans. So while she had the power to defy him, she didn't have the will. So strong was this slave mentality that it persisted even after her death, and for the past two thousand years she has remained here, in this realm she conjured from the coordinate, continuing to follow orders. Every time a pure Titan was created, every time one of the Nine used their abilities, every time the Founding Titan used its power, Ymir was here to build the Titan bodies and fulfill her role as a slave. Not because she wanted to, but because she felt that she had no choice."</p><p>Zeke's eyes dimmed. "When Eren and I first arrived here in the paths, I made the mistake of continuing to order Ymir around without any regard for her as a person. Eren, though, was able to understand what I could not. He could see that she was a human being who had been suffering for so long, who just wanted to be free. He treated her with compassion and broke her slave mentality, and that is why she went with him."</p><p>Armin looked around the paths with a thoughtful frown. "So...everything that's happening is because of Eren?"</p><p>"Yes and no. It's Eren's will, but Ymir's power. Eren is carrying out the rumbling in order to ensure the safety of the people of Paradis, while Ymir is doing it because it's what Eren wants. Though I suspect in her case she's also unleashing two thousand years worth of rage upon a cruel world that never gave a damn about her."</p><p>Armin looked down, and he could now recognize the mound as the head and shoulders of the Cart Titan.</p><p>"So...Ymir isn't making the Titan bodies anymore?"</p><p>"Correct. Ever since Ymir went with Eren I've been making all of them. Both the ones for Eren and Ymir, and the ones for your little alliance. Eren was definitely surprised by that development. He suspected that you guys wouldn't be happy with his plans, which is why he didn't tell you about them, but he never dreamed that you would go so far as to try to stop him. However, I think secretly he does want to be stopped, which is why he gave me permission to keep making the Titan bodies for you all, just to leave that possibility, however slim, open."</p><p>Armin looked bewildered. "Why are you helping Eren? Why don't you just stop making the Titan bodies?"</p><p>Zeke sighed. "It's not that simple. Time works differently here. If I refuse to help, Ymir simply freezes time in place, and I'm stuck in limbo until I do what I'm told. As long as I keep obeying, the sooner this nightmare will end."</p><p>"Why not just kill yourself to stop helping Eren?"</p><p>"You honestly believe I didn't think of that during all the time I've been stuck here? It doesn't work. All my attempts to kill myself failed. Ymir won't let me die."</p><p>Armin fell silent.</p><p>Zeke began to sculpt the Cart Titan's chest. "Still, being here all this time has given me a lot to think about. Everything that's happened can all be traced back to the dawn of time. Long, long ago, when nothing but mere matter existed in this world, countless masses of unknown things appeared, disappeared, then appeared again, until one of them eventually survived. We now know it as life. The reason that life ultimately survived was because it was in its nature to multiply. Life took on new forms in order to multiply, adapting to every kind of environment and eventually leading to us as we are now. It sought numbers, it sought spread, it sought abundance. And so, at bottom the purpose of life is to multiply. This sand, these pebbles, the water, they don't seek to multiply. But life never stops in its frantic quest to do so. Above all, death and the extermination of the species runs counter to the goal of multiplying. That is why we face the punishment known as fear."</p><p>Zeke began work on the Cart Titan's back, while Armin found himself feeling baffled by Zeke's tangent.</p><p>He stepped forward. "You have to tell me! Isn't there some way of getting back to the outside world from here?!"</p><p>Zeke shrugged. "Who knows. In my case I think it's impossible, because while I'm not technically dead yet, I'm pretty sure my physical body perished when it was absorbed by Eren. You might have a chance of returning to the real world if your friends can somehow win against Ymir's power, but I doubt that's possible."</p><p>Armin looked at him seriously. "I haven't given up yet."</p><p>"Why? Are you fighting to continue to multiply? Is the continuation of your species that important a task to you?"</p><p>Armin was once again taken aback by how detached and dismissive Zeke was being.</p><p>"What's happening now could be called the miserable sight of lifeforms controlled by fear. A fear brought about by completely pointless vital activities that-"</p><p>"My friends are fighting right now! Because we can still save so many people from terror! What we're doing is fighting fear!"</p><p>"What would be wrong with losing that fight?"</p><p>Armin's eyes widened in shock.</p><p>Zeke spoke quietly as he started to sculpt the Cart Titan's thighs. "Even if the rumbling succeeds, there will still be plenty of life left on the planet, including humans. What's more, your people would inherit a new world free from people like me, who wanted to take away your ability to multiply, and steal your freedom. Conversely, if you stop the rumbling, it will only be a matter of time until Paradis is destroyed. I came to understand what Eren realized. Ultimately no one is in the right or wrong. Whoever wins will determine the course of this world, and they will decide the meaning of justice. That's why Eren has withdrawn into himself and left the outcome up to us. He's ruthless enough to go through with the rumbling, but he's still human enough to feel the enormity of what he's done. Thus the rumbling will continue until either it's completed, or he's killed. And so Ymir is doing her best to fulfill Eren's will, your alliance is doing their best to stop Eren's will, while I'm in the middle, building the Titan bodies for both and seeing how this will all end. Not that it really matters. After all, you know that to live means to one day die, does it not?"</p><p>Armin said nothing.</p><p>"Who knows." Zeke murmured. "Perhaps one's final moments bring relief. The end of your days being manipulated, all in the name of multiplication, without ever knowing if it means anything at all. Sounds like freedom to me."</p><p>Zeke finished up the Cart Titan's feet. His work completed, the Cart Titan body sank through the sand and disappeared. He sat down cross legged with a weary sigh.</p><p>Armin walked over and sat down across from Zeke.</p><p>As he did so, he noticed a small leaf half buried in the sand.</p><p>Armin's eyes widened as the leaf sparked a memory.</p><p>Zeke looked up as Armin began to speak softly.</p><p>"The sun was starting to set. We were running to a tree on the hill. The three of us were racing. Eren brought up the idea and took off out of nowhere. Mikasa ran too, but stayed behind him on purpose, and of course I was dead last. But the breeze was nice and warm that day. Just running with leaves fluttering everywhere felt good, and for some reason, I thought then maybe the reason I was born was so the three of us could be racing there."</p><p>Zeke was silent, unsure of what to make of this.</p><p>Armin continued. "I thought the same thing when I read books at home on a rainy day, when a squirrel ate some nuts I gave it, when we all walked around the market too. I felt it. That these trivial moments might actually be precious."</p><p>Armin reached down and gently picked up the leaf.</p><p>His gaze softened. "Even when I was making love with Annie back on the ship...yes I suppose you could say that would help with 'multiplication' as you put it. But that's not the reason why I did it, and I don't think that's why Annie did it either. I just...I wanted to experience closeness, intimacy, with another person. Just the sensation of being a human holding another human...that was enough."</p><p>He looked at the leaf more closely.</p><p>Zeke's eyes widened, as to him the leaf appeared like a baseball.</p><p>"That's…"</p><p>Armin held it up. "This? It was buried in the sand."</p><p>"Why is that…"</p><p>"Who knows. But to my eyes, even if there's no need for something like this in order to multiply, it's still something incredibly precious."</p><p>Armin handed the baseball to Zeke.</p><p>As he looked down at the ball, Zeke's face melted as he remembered Mr. Ksaver.</p><p>"Yes. You're right. Just throwing, catching, and throwing again. That simple repetition. It doesn't mean a thing. But...you're right. I would have much rather just kept on playing catch."</p><p>As he contemplated this, several memories stirred within him that began to shake off his nihilism. Memories that he'd seen, memories that he'd overheard. Memories he'd tried to ignore.</p><p>
  <em>I'm sorry...I was a terrible father...I put you through so much suffering. Zeke...I love you. If only I had spent more time playing with you. Zeke...please, stop Eren.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I think I understand Eren. Maybe he wants us to stop him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The only way to stop me is by ending my life. You are free to do so.</em>
</p><p>Armin nodded. "And that's why we're fighting. I know that everyone will die someday, but everyone deserves to live their lives as they want, and to find joy where they can. The rumbling has already robbed so many people of these precious moments. Let's not let anymore be lost."</p><p>Zeke stared down at the baseball for a moment before placing it in his pocket.</p><p>"...alright. I'll stop making the Titan bodies. But...in order for it to stick, you'll have to kill me."</p><p>Armin frowned. "Can I?"</p><p>"I think so. You're still connected to the real world in a way I'm not, so I think you'll be able to succeed where I failed. Of course, you realize that once you do that, your side won't be able to summon their Titans anymore either, right?"</p><p>"I'm aware of that. Which is why I want you to help me with one last thing. Help me sculpt the Colossal Titan one last time."</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>With that, they got to work sculpting Armin's Colossal Titan form. As it was significantly bigger than the Cart Titan, it took quite a bit longer to complete.</p><p>Not that it mattered. In the paths, they had all the time in the world.</p><p>As they finished it up, Armin knew he would still need the others to rescue him and allow him to draw blood before he could summon this Titan body.</p><p>Zeke turned toward him. "By the way, I heard your self loathing rant earlier."</p><p>"Oh." Armin said, feeling rather embarrassed.</p><p>Zeke looked away. "I know you feel that Levi should have chosen Erwin back then. But the way things have turned out, I think Levi made the right choice."</p><p>Armin looked at him sharply. "Really? What makes you say that?"</p><p>"Well, in all the time I've been here I've done some poking around here and there in the paths, and seen quite a few different memories from various people. And from what I've seen I have a pretty good idea about what kind of person Erwin was. He was an inspirational leader to be sure. But he had a darker side to him."</p><p>Zeke rubbed the back of his head. "Obviously I can't say for certain since he died before learning the truth about this world, but I'm not sure if he would have opposed Eren's plan. In fact, given how coldly ruthless and pragmatic he was, I think there's a good chance he would have sided with Eren if, like Eren, he became convinced it was the only way to ensure Paradis's safety."</p><p>Armin's eyes widened.</p><p>Zeke looked at him with a faint smile. "Yes, you may not have been able to replace Erwin, but you don't have to. You're going to be able to do something he never could: save humanity."</p><p>Armin felt a small smile appearing on his face as well. If Levi's worst enemy thought that the captain had made the right choice, then maybe, just maybe, he actually had.</p><p>Zeke turned away. "Well, maybe. I suppose we'll see. Or rather, you'll see. I won't be around to know how it all turns out. Go ahead."</p><p>Zeke knelt down next to Armin's Titan. His smile fading, Armin began to sculpt something out of the sand.</p><p>If Zeke concentrated, he was able to use the paths to see things through the eyes of his Beast Titan, though he couldn't control the Titan anymore. And as he did so now, he was struck by how gorgeous the sky looked.</p><p>A sense of awe and wonder filled him.</p><p>
  <em>What a beautiful day it is. How many years has it been since I just stopped and appreciated these small joys of life? If only I'd realized that earlier. Part of me wishes I could spend more time enjoying what I missed.</em>
</p><p>He smiled sadly. <em>But...after all the killing I've done, that's asking for too much.</em></p><p>He closed his eyes. Behind him, Armin finished sculpting a gun out of the sand. He pointed it at the back of Zeke's head, and pulled the trigger.</p><hr/><p>Eren's Beast Titan landed hard on one of the Founding Titan's ribs, shattering several of its bones and temporarily stunning it.</p><p>A short distance away, Levi landed on the unforgiving hard surface and broke his spine, his consciousness momentarily leaving him.</p><p>High above on top of the spine pillars, Falco's wing had healed enough that he could use it again, but Zeke's Beast Titan had recovered, and was attempting to kill the young holder of the Jaw Titan.</p><p>With her rifle gone, all Gabi could do now was cling for dear life, feeling useless and terrified as Falco's body twisted and turned to avoid the Beast Titan's attacks.</p><p>After dodging several volleys of projectiles, Falco managed to close the distance and clamped his jaws around the Beast Titan's head, instantly crushing it and destroying the nape in the process.</p><p>He flew away, but as he did so he noticed something strange.</p><p>
  <em>Wait a minute...that golden mist isn't appearing from the Beast Titan's body. Does that mean...did I somehow permanently kill it?</em>
</p><p>Near the nape of the Founding Titan, Pieck ripped open the nape of Frieda's Titan once more, and automatically ejected herself out of her Titan, ready to fight once more.</p><p>But as she did so, she noticed several things.</p><p>The first was that the golden mist she was expecting didn't appear from the Titan's body.</p><p>More importantly, however, was the fact that even though she had injured herself and had a clear goal in mind, she wasn't transforming.</p><p>She realized, too late, that the Titan powers for friend and foe alike were no longer working properly.</p><p>And as she fell down, Grisha's Titan lunged forward, swung its mace, and killed her instantly. Her battered body splattered against one of the Founding Titan's ribs before falling down to the ground far below them.</p><p>Reiner and Jean were horrified.</p><p>"PIECK!"</p><p>
  <em>No…</em>
</p><p>But even as their grief threatened to overwhelm them, they were able to realize the same thing that Pieck had, and quickly used this knowledge to their advantage.</p><p>After getting Grisha's Titan in a chokehold, Reiner gave Jean the opening he needed to permanently kill the former Attack Titan. The Titan collapsed and fell down through the ribs into the abyss below.</p><p>With two Titans down, it was just Eren's Warhammer Titan left, and Reiner was able to barrel straight through the barriers it had put up and tackle it, finally giving Jean the chance to slip past and go for the explosives.</p><p>Near the tailbone, Connie and Annie managed at last to distract the Warhammer Titan long enough to let Mikasa slip past it and face off against Eren's Attack Titan.</p><p>The Attack Titan swung its fist at her, and as she dodged this attack she got a good look at its eyes.</p><p>Just like when it had attacked her at Trost, the eyes looked almost empty, vacant, as if Eren wasn't in control.</p><p>She frowned. <em>Back then, it was just blind instinct. Now, though, it seems that something else is controlling the Titan. Something, or someone. Possibly Ymir?</em></p><p>She dodged a second swing, and after taking what little comfort she could from the fact that this wasn't really Eren, she swooped down and sliced through the Attack Titan's nape, killing it.</p><p>It stumbled forward and its jaw fell open, ejecting Armin's now very wet body.</p><p>"Armin!" Mikasa cried.</p><p>Seeing him about to fall, Annie reached out and managed to catch Armin in her hand.</p><p>
  <em>Armin!</em>
</p><p>Armin spat out some of the Titan drool that had gotten into his mouth, and looked up at Annie and Mikasa.</p><p>"Thank you...sorry for worrying you."</p><p>Falco's Titan swooped down near them, and thanks to Connie's distractions tackled Lara's Titan and ripped out its nape, killing it.</p><p>Armin stood up. His gear was broken, but he still had one move left to play.</p><p>"All of you, get out of here! I'm going to use the Colossal Titan!"</p><p>However, further back they could see Eren's Beast Titan stirring, and they realized that it would throw more projectiles at them before Falco could get away.</p><p>Connie readied his gear. "All of you get out of here! I'll distract the Beast Titan long enough to let you all get away!"</p><p>Armin looked at Connie sharply.</p><p>"No!" Mikasa cried in horror, "We can't just-"</p><p>"There's no time!" Connie shouted. "We have to stop it, and fast! I knew what I was signing up for! Now go!"</p><p>With that, Connie used his ODM gear to zoom toward the Beast Titan. Annie and Gabi dragged a protesting Mikasa onto Falco's back, who promptly took off, leaving Armin behind.</p><p>Armin turned away from Falco and the others and looked at Connie's retreating form sadly. <em>I'm sorry…</em></p><p>Connie smiled softly as he fired his last thunder spear into the Beast Titan's face.</p><p>
  <em>Mom...I'm glad to know you're proud of me. I'll be sure to say hi to Dad, Martin, and Sunny for you.</em>
</p><p>Near the nape, Eren's Warhammer Titan had been so occupied with trying to stop Jean from reaching the detonator that it hadn't paid close enough attention to Reiner, which gave him the opening he needed to kill it.</p><p>As Jean reached the detonator, he found himself thinking back to all the stupid fights he and Eren had had back when they were cadets.</p><p>How far away those innocent days now seemed.</p><p>He grabbed the detonator and pulled it out of the range of the explosives.</p><p>He let out an anguished yell. "You stupid suicidal bastard!"</p><p>He pushed down the detonator, and the explosives blew up, destroying most of the neck and causing the head of Eren's Founding Titan to detach and plummet to the ground.</p><p>Near the middle of the Founding Titan, Levi lay there dying. He'd regained consciousness in time to see Falco permanently kill the Beast Titan.</p><p>He smiled weakly. <em>Well, I helped the kid take out Zeke's Beast Titan...so I think that counts...heh...I've never bungled one of his orders...not even once...but for some reason his final order was the one that gave me so much trouble…</em></p><p>His smile faded as he remembered Erwin and all of the other comrades he'd lost over the years. <em>Though I suppose...getting those brats to the sea may have been the extent of our role. Tell me...when you guys devoted yourselves...was that in order to trample the hearts and lives of others? No...when we dreamed of a world without Titans...I'm pretty sure that was an absurdly innocent and idealized world. Because if it wasn't...it wouldn't have been worth what they devoted.</em></p><p>Levi looked over, and spotted Armin a fair distance away, a massive light engulfing his body.</p><p>
  <em>Erwin...I didn't pick you...and I have no regrets about that...about entrusting the future...to that kid who had the same look in his eyes as you.</em>
</p><p>Levi closed his eyes, a satisfied smile on his face.</p><p>"Goodbye, Eren." Armin whispered.</p><p>The Colossal Titan's transformation obliterated the body of Eren's Founding Titan, and killed Connie and Levi in the process, as well as Eren's Beast Titan.</p><p>At the fort, the people watched the explosion with awe, certain that the battle had been won.</p><p>Muller, however, didn't relax, as all of the Wall Titans were still moving toward them.</p><p>After saving Jean, Reiner landed near the head of Eren's Founding Titan. He was still upset about Pieck, and couldn't help but wonder who else hadn't made it.</p><p>As Jean looked Reiner over, he could see that the Armored Titan was pretty beat up but still functional. However, since the Titan powers didn't appear to be working properly anymore, he had a feeling that if Reiner exited his Titan, he wouldn't be able to transform anymore.</p><p>And if that was the case, he would need to avoid doing that until they were certain it was truly over.</p><p>Armin stood up in his Colossal Titan form, and with the Founding Titan gone he could see that the Wall Titans were circling around them and heading for the Fort. Realizing this must mean that Eren was still alive, he turned toward the head and began to walk toward it, knowing that they had to finish it.</p><p>High up in the air, Falco circled around and headed back toward where the Founding Titan had been.</p><p>Mikasa, Annie, and Gabi spotted the Founding Titan's head, and were wondering if it was over when a massive light engulfed the head.</p><p>The next second, another Colossal Titan with the Founding Titan's head on its body appeared, glaring as Armin approached it.</p><p>The explosion had sent Reiner flying, but he'd managed to shield Jean from harm, and quickly got back up.</p><p>As Armin observed Eren's new form, he briefly wondered how this new Titan body had appeared when Zeke was dead. But as he thought it through, he realized that the Founding Titan was probably the one exception to the rule of needing someone to make its body, seeing how there had been no one in the paths during Ymir Fritz's lifetime.</p><p>Armin raised his fists. <em>Okay then. I'm not sure if Eren or Ymir is the one in control. But either way, this ends now.</em></p><p>Eren and Armin clashed, their fight shaking the ground and air around them.</p><p>At the fort, the Wall Titans had reached the foot of the mesa, and were beginning to climb up.</p><p>"FIRE!" Muller bellowed.</p><p>The cannons roared to life, and fired round after round into the horde of Titans below. They knew that they had almost no hope of hitting the napes dead on, and so instead aimed for the Titans hands. This proved effective, as it caused them to lose their grip on the rock and fall back to the ground, often slamming into their fellows on the way down.</p><p>But while many fell, they kept getting right back up and resuming the climb. Muller knew they couldn't stop the Titans, and only hoped that they would be able to hold out long enough for the alliance to finish Eren.</p><p>With Jean perched on his shoulder, Reiner began to run back toward Eren's feet, while Falco flew toward Eren's head. Both were trying to go as fast as they could, as Eren seemed to have the upper hand against Armin in their battle.</p><p>Mikasa clutched her head as an agonizingly bad headache threatened to split her skull open, tears appearing in her eyes from the pain.</p><p>Gabi looked at her in concern.</p><p>"Mikasa!" Annie cried. "Pull yourself together! We have to finish it!"</p><p>Mikasa clenched her eyes shut.</p><p>
  <em>I can't...take this...anymore...I want to go back...back...to our home…</em>
</p><hr/><p>The noises of the battle had faded, and were replaced with the sound of birds chirping and the nearby rustling of water, most likely a river.</p><p>"Mikasa, get up."</p><p>Mikasa opened her eyes, and saw Eren standing in front of her, a fishing rod in his left hand.</p><p>He looked at her in concern. "You'll catch a cold."</p><p>"Eren." She whispered.</p><p>She looked around, and realized that she was sitting on the front porch of a cabin in the middle of some gorgeous looking wilderness. A short distance away was a picnic table with several plates and utensils set on it.</p><p>She blinked. "Huh? When...did I fall asleep?"</p><p>Eren smiled at her fondly. "You must've been really tired."</p><p>She yawned. "It feels like I just had a long dream."</p><p>Eren set the fishing rod against the side of the wall. "Let's just rest today. I managed to catch a big fish."</p><p>He looked at her in concern. "Mikasa...why are you crying?"</p><p>Mikasa reached up and touched her cheeks when she realized there were indeed tears on her face.</p><p>"Huh? I'm...I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be here."</p><p>Eren looked down. "Well...we can't do anything about it. Since we abandoned everything and ran away like this."</p><p>Mikasa looked confused. "What?"</p><p>"It's been two months since the war against Marley ended. Now that the Mid East Allies are gone it's only a matter of time before they invade Paradis. We all die if we don't run. Armin and the others are probably looking for us, but I doubt they'll be able to find us."</p><p>Eren looked at her seriously. "I couldn't make up my mind about what I should do. Let's just live the rest of my four years peacefully. Just the two of us. This was what you said you wanted Mikasa."</p><p>A moment of silence passed between them.</p><p>Mikasa looked at the ground. "No. It wasn't. I wasn't able to be honest about what I wanted. I lied and said you were just family to me. I'm sorry."</p><p>She looked at him sadly. "This isn't real, is it?"</p><p>Eren shrugged. "Depends on what you mean by real. It's not in physical reality, but that doesn't mean it's not real. If you want to, we really can spend the next four years here, just the two of us, and forget about the troubles out there."</p><p>Mikasa smiled regretfully. "But the real world will eventually reassert itself, won't it?"</p><p>"Yeah." Eren murmured. "And I suppose you're not the type to run away. I was hoping you would. I was hoping that the horrible things I said in the restaurant, things I didn't mean, things I never wanted to say, would be enough to push you away, to not have to be a part of all this. But I underestimated you. You're stronger than I thought."</p><p>Mikasa's eyes widened.</p><p>Ever since Jean had first mentioned it, she had suspected that Eren had been lying during that confrontation at the restaurant. Even so, it was good to know for certain that the hurtful words he'd spoken at that time didn't reflect his true feelings.</p><p>But then, what were his true feelings?</p><p>She remembered the question he'd asked her in Marley.</p><p>
  <em>What am I to you?</em>
</p><p>She swallowed nervously. "If I'd told the truth back then...would things have turned out differently?"</p><p>Eren nodded dismally. "Yes. Four years ago I discovered the Attack Titan's secret power. It has the ability to see the future."</p><p>Mikasa froze. "What?"</p><p>Eren turned away from her, looking slightly lost. "Rather, it can see glimpses of the future. Everything that's happened...I saw bits and pieces of it. And I knew that I would eventually use the rumbling to destroy the world."</p><p>He closed his eyes. "I didn't want to do it. What sane, decent person wants to become the worst mass murderer in human history? But as things unfolded, as more and more of my future memories came to pass, even when I tried to alter the outcome, and as the situation with the outside world looked more and more hopeless, I gradually came to believe that I had no choice but to pursue the future I'd seen."</p><p>He opened his eyes and turned back to her. "When I asked you that question in Marley, that was...my last chance. I'd foreseen that moment, and your answer, and I was desperately hoping that your answer would be different from what I'd seen in my future memories. But...it wasn't. That, along with the disastrous conference the next day, convinced me that the future was indeed set in stone, and that there was no other way."</p><p>Mikasa stood up, tears in her eyes, and she hugged him tightly.</p><p>"I'm so sorry." She whispered. "I failed you."</p><p>Eren wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay. You couldn't have known. And you did prove me wrong in a different way. I saw some of the future, and the furthest I saw was myself using the rumbling to destroy the world. But I didn't see you and the others banding together to stop it, and never giving up on me despite everything. You were willing to fight for humanity, even if it meant going against me, even if it meant sacrificing your home. I'm so proud of you. You are a better, more hopeful person than I could ever hope to be, and I can never thank you enough for showing me that the future isn't actually written in stone."</p><p>Mikasa was silent. While hearing Eren praise her would normally have filled her with joy, now all she could feel was regret.</p><p>If she'd only been honest about her feelings, how much better might things have turned out?</p><p>Eren looked down at her solemnly. "Can you promise me one thing? When I die, throw the scarf away. You'll live long after I'm gone...and forget about me...and be free. Please...Mikasa...forget about me…"</p><hr/><p>The cabin, wilderness, and Eren faded away, and Mikasa found herself on Falco's back once again.</p><p>Her eyes hardened.</p><p>"Sorry."</p><p>She pulled the scarf out of her pocket and wrapped it around herself.</p><p>"I can't."</p><p>Mikasa readied one of her blades, and raised her voice.</p><p>"Eren is in the mouth. I'll kill him."</p><p>Falco took this information into account, while Annie and Gabi looked at her in shock.</p><p>"How do you know?" Gabi asked.</p><p>"I know." Mikasa said firmly.</p><p>"Are you sure?" Annie asked anxiously.</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Eren was holding Armin at bay, and had dealt several serious blows to his Titan form, producing injuries that were healing much more slowly than they should have been.</p><p>But before Eren could finish Armin, Reiner grappled with Eren's ankle. Eren responded by lifting his leg up and crushing Reiner under his foot, killing him almost instantly.</p><p>But Reiner's sacrifice provided the distraction the others needed.</p><p>Jean used his gear to soar up to Eren's face, and fired a thunder spear into Eren's left eye, destroying it. This created a blind spot, giving Armin an opening to punch Eren in the face, knocking out several of his teeth.</p><p>As Falco passed by Eren's head, Mikasa dove through the gap in between the teeth and entered the mouth. Towards the back she saw Eren's disembodied head, kept alive by the Titan powers.</p><p>She surged forward, and Eren and Mikasa looked at each other sadly as she swung her blade forward and severed his head from the Titan.</p><p>
  <em>See you later Eren.</em>
</p><p>Mikasa leaned forward and kissed Eren for the first and last time.</p><hr/><p>Armin looked around in shock.</p><p>One moment he had been in his Titan form battling Eren in the middle of a barren plain, the next he found himself in Shiganshina.</p><p>But it wasn't Shiganshina as he knew it in the present. Instead, it looked exactly how it had appeared when they were kids, before that fateful day.</p><p>He also noticed that his body seemed much smaller than it had been.</p><p>"Hey Armin."</p><p>Armin turned around sharply, and saw a ten year old Eren standing a short distance away.</p><p>Eren forced a smile. "Well, it looks like you won."</p><p>Armin stared at Eren for a while. A thousand questions ran through his mind, but in the end he chose the one that had been bothering him the most, and one for which he had yet to come up with a satisfactory answer.</p><p>"Why did you say and do those hurtful things at the restaurant?"</p><p>Eren flinched and looked away, his smile fading.</p><p>Armin took a step forward. "Was it to push us away? For our safety?"</p><p>Eren reluctantly nodded. "That was part of it. But the main reason…"</p><p>He sighed. "I already told Mikasa, but...the Attack Titan's special ability is its power to see into the future."</p><p>Armin's eyes widened. "What?"</p><p>"Four years ago...after I kissed Historia's hand...I received years worth of future memories that provided glimpses of things to come...including the rumbling."</p><p>Eren sighed. "By the time of the battle at Liberio, I'd become convinced that I had no choice but to follow the path that had been set before me in my future memories. When it came to the incident at the restaurant...I hadn't seen all of it ahead of time. What I did know was that I would make Mikasa cry and that I would beat you up. So I just said the most hurtful things I could think of to cause Mikasa to cry and to provoke you into attacking me."</p><p>Armin remembered how cold Eren had seemed at the time, how his face had been almost masklike.</p><p>But he also remembered when the mask had, for a brief moment, cracked.</p><p>
  <em>Was that the freedom you wanted? The freedom to hurt Mikasa?</em>
</p><p>Armin looked at Eren sadly. "So...you didn't want to do it?"</p><p>Eren violently shook his head. "Of course not. I never wanted to hurt you or Mikasa. But…"</p><p>"But because of your future memories you felt that you had to." Armin finished quietly.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>Armin looked at the ground dismally. "So...all of this...was inevitable?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>Armin looked at him in surprise.</p><p>"I...the furthest I saw was when my Founding Titan arrived on the continent, and the rumbling began to eradicate the world."</p><p>Eren's eyes glistened. "But...I didn't see you guys banding together to try to stop me. I was shocked, but at the same time...I felt relieved. I couldn't just stop what I was doing, as the people of Paradis were counting on me to secure their future. But at the same time...it gave me hope, knowing that there was at least a chance that I would be stopped before I made it to the end of the horrible path I was on."</p><p>Eren began to walk away.</p><p>Armin started to follow him. "Where are you going?"</p><p>"Let's walk while we talk."</p><p>Armin wasn't sure how, but a few minutes later they were suddenly far away from Shiganshina, and were observing the aftermath of a volcanic eruption from a distant hill.</p><p>Armin's eyes widened in awe. "So this...is flaming water. It really is flowing like a river."</p><p>For a moment, neither of them spoke, and they simply watched as the lava swept past them.</p><p>Armin turned toward Eren. "So...if you'd wanted to, you could have stopped us?"</p><p>"Yes." Eren murmured. "Zeke told you about the Founder Ymir. After freeing her from her slave mentality, Ymir was incredibly grateful to me, and would have done just about anything I asked of her. It would have been easy to take away your Titan powers, or to erase your memories and render you unable to fight."</p><p>Eren began to walk away. "But...I didn't want to steal your freedom. And I wanted to leave open the possibility of the rumbling being stopped."</p><p>Armin followed him, and the next moment they found themselves in another very different environment.</p><p>In front of them a land of ice and snow was spread out as far as the eye could reach, and above them they saw a series of lights glowing in the sky above, shining even brighter than the paths they'd seen in the coordinate.</p><p>Armin felt himself filled with wonder once more, but Eren barely seemed to notice.</p><p>"I...I claimed back then that I was free. That was both the truth, and a lie. I did want freedom for the people of Paradis, and for you, my precious friends. And I was willing to do whatever it took to obtain that freedom, even if it meant stealing the lives and freedom of others."</p><p>Eren's voice had dropped to a whisper. "But...at the same time, I was a slave to fate, to what I had seen in my future memories. Early on I'd tried to find another way, but eventually I gave up, and let it all play out the way I had foreseen. But...if I'd known it would turn out this way...if I was given the chance to do it all over again...I wouldn't have followed the same path. I never wanted to become a monster. I just wanted to be with you and Mikasa. But it's too late now."</p><p>They continued to walk, and suddenly ended up at the ocean.</p><p>As Armin looked over at Eren, he realized that, all during their conversation, the two of them had gradually been growing up, and now had finally reached the adult bodies they had in the real world.</p><p>"So...you've been keeping this all to yourself...ever since that ceremony?"</p><p>Eren slowly nodded. "Yeah."</p><p>Without warning, Armin punched him in the face, sending him sprawling into the water.</p><p>Armin glared down at him furiously. "And you thought you could just carry this burden all by yourself? Even though you knew full well that it would involve us, and have real lasting consequences for us? What the hell gave you the right to decide all on your own that murdering the entire world for our sake was the only way?!"</p><p>Tears began to pour down Eren's cheeks. "I didn't. I'm sorry."</p><p>His anger fading, Armin knelt down next to Eren in the water, his face melting into a look of concern.</p><p>"Listen to me, Eren. It's not too late. We can still find another way."</p><p>Eren shook his head, the tears flowing more freely now. "No. This is the end for me. My body has already died. And even if it hadn't, there's no way I could ever be forgiven for what I've done. I don't want to die, but neither did the millions of people I've killed."</p><p>Eren turned toward Armin. "But...I think I can rest in peace, knowing that the future is in your hands. You'll be remembered as the heroes who saved the world."</p><p>Armin leaned forward and hugged him. After hesitating for a moment Eren returned the embrace.</p><p>Armin spoke softly. "You became a mass murderer for our sake. I promise I'll do my best to make the most out of your mistake."</p><p>Eren smiled. "I always knew...that you would save humanity."</p><hr/><p>Steam began to pour out of Falco's Titan, and it quickly glided down to the ground. The moment it landed, it began to dissolve, much to the shock of Annie and Gabi.</p><p>The area where Eren and Armin's Titans had battled was obscured by two massive clouds of steam.</p><p>Armin woke up on the ground. He quickly sat up and pressed his hands to his face.</p><p>He didn't feel the telltale sensation of shifter markings on his cheeks.</p><p>"Armin."</p><p>Armin turned his head, and saw Mikasa walking slowly toward him.</p><p>His eyes widened in shock as he realized she was cradling Eren's head.</p><p>Both of them broke down crying, mourning their friend.</p><p>Jean slowly approached the remains of Falco's Titan as Annie and Gabi pulled Falco out of the dissolving flesh.</p><p>He looked around. "Is...is it over?"</p><p>"Looks like it." Annie said quietly.</p><p>They turned to look at the fort, and saw that the Wall Titans had just barely managed to reach the top of the mesa, but all of them had collapsed before they could destroy the rest of the fort and the people within the fort. Most of them had fallen back down to the ground far below, while the few that had reached the very top were lying still on the surface of the mesa as their bodies dissolved.</p><p>All across the plain, all around them, all of the Wall Titans were dissolving into a massive cloud of steam. The rumbling was over.</p><p>Jean folded his arms. "So...Eren's dead. And it looks like the Titans have disappeared from the world."</p><p>Annie nodded silently, while Gabi and Falco stood nearby.</p><p>A moment later, Armin and Mikasa joined them. Mikasa had wrapped Eren's head in a cloth so that it wouldn't be recognized for what it was.</p><p>After verifying that they were the only ones of the alliance left, the six survivors slowly walked back toward the fort.</p><p>It was a long walk, both to reach the mesa, and to ascend it, but in a way it was somewhat relaxing. Ever since the rumbling had started, all of them had been overcome with an almost unbearable sense of urgency, with barely any time to rest or think.</p><p>Now, though, for better or worse, it was finally over.</p><p>As they reached the top, they were quickly spotted by the Marleyan soldiers and Eldian civilians.</p><p>"It's the heroes!"</p><p>A cheer rose from the crowd. Armin wearily raised a hand in recognition of their praise, while Gabi and Falco ran forward to hug their parents, who quickly broke down in tears of relief at seeing that their children had made it through the battle alive.</p><p>Armin felt his heart sink as he realized that some of them wouldn't be so lucky.</p><p>A middle aged man and woman came forward and looked at them fearfully.</p><p>"Where's Reiner?"</p><p>"Where's Pieck?"</p><p>Jean bowed his head. "I'm...I'm afraid they didn't make it."</p><p>Devastated by the news, Reiner's mother and Pieck's father ended up holding onto each other as they broke down crying.</p><p>Annie stiffened as she noticed another missing face.</p><p>"Where's...where's my father?"</p><p>Reiner's mother looked at her tearfully. "I'm so sorry. He...he was killed when the Titans reached the top of the mesa."</p><p>Annie's eyes went wide with disbelief, and the second Armin gently touched her arm she turned around and buried her face in his shoulder, her body wracked with sobs.</p><p>Muller approached the group, a tired smile on his face.</p><p>He bowed. "I cannot begin to thank you all enough. You saved not only us, but millions of other people. We are forever in our debt."</p><p>Jean stepped forward. "Since Eren is dead, and the Founding Titan was destroyed, the Titans are gone from this world. Eldians are now no different from other humans."</p><p>Muller nodded. "I believe you. Though I know not everyone will."</p><p>From a side building, a familiar face with a bandage on the side of his head appeared.</p><p>"Onyankapon!" Armin exclaimed. "You're alive!"</p><p>Onyankapon grinned. "Thanks to you. Thank you for keeping your promise. I...I can't even begin to express how much it means to me to know that my family and my homeland are safe."</p><p>Muller glanced at him with a frown. "Yes. Marley is finished, but many other nations have survived. Best to look at the positive side of things as much as we can."</p><p>Muller returned his gaze to Armin. "If there's anything we can do for you, don't hesitate to ask."</p><p>Armin smiled feebly. "Honestly...we'd just like to go home now."</p><p>"Are you sure? You're probably considered traitors now."</p><p>"I know. But it's still our home."</p><p>Muller nodded. "Understood. I'll do my best to let the rest of the world know that not everyone from the island is a devil, but after what's happened I don't know how keen people will be to listen."</p><p>Armin shrugged. "No harm in trying."</p><p>Annie let out a watery chuckle. He knew that she probably thought he was still rather naive, but at the same time he also knew that she admired his optimism.</p><p>"Well said." Muller gestured behind them. "As it happens, we have one airship left. It will take some time to fully refuel and repair it, but once those are complete you can use it to return to the island."</p><p>He frowned uncertainly. "Um, do any of you know how to fly an airship?"</p><p>Onyankapon shot his hand in the air. "I do."</p><p>"Very well. And once again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you."</p><p>Muller left to give his soldiers orders, while the rest of the crowd watched the survivors with awe and reverence.</p><p>They did keep their distance though, something which Armin was grateful for, as he was already feeling a little overwhelmed by the day's events.</p><p>Armin gently squeezed Annie's shoulder. "You okay?"</p><p>"No." Annie sniffed. "But...I will be. At least I got to see him one last time."</p><p>As it would take some time to get the airship ready, the surviving members of the alliance found a place inside one of the buildings to sit down and rest for a bit.</p><p>Onyankapon, Armin, Mikasa, Jean, and Annie planned to use the airship to return to Paradis, while Gabi and Falco were staying with their families.</p><p>Gabi looked at them anxiously. "Are you guys sure? I remember Miss Kiyomi saying something about providing you guys homes in Hizuru if you survived. If you go back to the island, you'll probably be in big trouble."</p><p>Mikasa gently cradled the bundle of cloth that concealed Eren's head.</p><p>She smiled down at the younger girl. "Thanks, but Paradis is our home, and we have to look after it."</p><hr/><p>Ymir stood in front of the coordinate. Zeke and Eren were dead, and she was once again alone.</p><p>But now, she was free from having to follow the orders of a dead king that had never given a damn about her, free to make her own path.</p><p>However, she wasn't entirely sure what she should do with this newfound freedom.</p><p>If she was honest with herself, she desperately wanted to leave this place forever. She'd been trapped there for far too long, and she just wanted it all to end. That was part of why she had gone with Eren in the first place.</p><p>
  <em>It's up to you whether you want to stay here forever, or end it.</em>
</p><p>She'd gone along with Eren's plans with the understanding that once they were completed, she would be allowed to leave the coordinate for good. This would spell the end of the Titan powers, but with everything outside of Paradis eradicated that wouldn't be a problem.</p><p>But then, something unexpected happened. Eren's friends had joined hands with his enemies in an effort to stop the rumbling. And rather than stopping them, Eren had allowed them the option of continuing, which had ultimately led to his death and the premature end of the rumbling.</p><p>Part of her was utterly bewildered by Eren's actions, but at the same time she'd done her best to respect his wishes. And it wasn't like she didn't somewhat understand where he was coming from.</p><p>When Eren had touched her, he had seen all of her memories, and she had seen all of his. The two of them had felt each other's joys and sorrows more deeply and completely than any other two people in human history.</p><p>So she understood how much he cared for his friends, and especially Mikasa. She also knew that he had hated going through with the rumbling, and had only done so because he felt he had no other choice. And she was aware of the relief he had felt at the prospect of being stopped.</p><p>If it had been her, she would have prevented them from enacting their plan to stop the rumbling before they even reached the harbor, and done her best to keep them safe, even if they didn't like it. But Eren had wanted to respect their right to choose, and so had not interfered with them. And this decision on his part had ultimately cost him his life.</p><p>Now it was up to her and her alone to decide what would happen next. She still wanted to leave the coordinate. But she couldn't just leave things as they were.</p><p>The rumbling had stopped before it was completed, which meant that a significant chunk of the world was still intact. And by doing the rumbling, she and Eren had created thousands if not millions of more people like him. People who had done nothing wrong, people who had had their homes and families taken away from them, people who would now be crying out for revenge.</p><p>And the target of their revenge would inevitably be Paradis island.</p><p>Would the knowledge that Eren was dead, and that the group that had stopped him were from the island be enough to appease these people? Perhaps it would for some of them, but others would still cry out for blood.</p><p>While the disappearance of the Titans might be enough to get the world to be kinder to Eldians as a whole, the rumbling would only have exasperated the hatred the world felt toward the islanders, a hatred that was born out of irrational prejudice but would be fueled and intensified by the legitimate feelings of anger and fear that the rumbling would have caused.</p><p>It would take years for the world to recover from the rumbling, so the retaliation against Paradis wouldn't happen immediately. But it was only a matter of time before it did. And with the disparity between Paradis and the rest of the world in terms of population size and technology being as wide as it was, with the disappearance of the Titans there was only one possible outcome.</p><p>And so, in order to minimize the amount of death and suffering that would occur in the future, Ymir knew there was only one course of action she could take.</p><p>She was aware that Eren would not have liked what she was about to do. But as he had told her, she was free to choose how to end it.</p><hr/><p>The Braus family was enjoying the meal that had been prepared for them by Niccolo. Mrs. Braus had helped a little at the beginning, but toward the end Niccolo had insisted that she sit down and relax.</p><p>As Niccolo was preparing the dessert for the evening, Kaya entered the kitchen with her glass to get some more water.</p><p>After filling up her glass, she glanced at Niccolo.</p><p>"I'm sorry."</p><p>Niccolo looked at her in mild surprise. "What for?"</p><p>She tapped her fingers nervously against the glass. "Well...considering what Eren's doing...Marley will be destroyed. It might even be destroyed already by this point. I understand that we need to defend ourselves, but...this is going too far."</p><p>Niccolo sighed. "Yeah, well, there's nothing we can really do about it now. While I feel bad for the people out there, if I'm perfectly honest, all I can think is 'better them than me.'"</p><p>She frowned at him. "But don't you have family in Marley?"</p><p>He winced. "Well, yeah, but no one I'm really that close to. Even my parents...our relationship wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. They were always incredibly strict, and they're the ones who pushed me into joining the military despite my wishes. Though that seems to have worked out in my favor."</p><p>He rubbed the back of his head. "I guess at a certain level I don't really care what happens as long as I survive."</p><p>He glanced at her nervously. "I know that makes me sound like a selfish bastard."</p><p>She shook her head. "No, I get it."</p><p>She retrieved her glass and left the kitchen, feeling slightly troubled.</p><hr/><p>In the nearby building, Historia's labor had finally come to an end. The doctors and nurses had left the room to give her some privacy with her infant daughter.</p><p>Historia looked down at the newborn as she began to breastfeed for the first time.</p><p>A familiar freckled face flashed in her mind, and she let out a small smile.</p><p>"Hey there little one. Your name is Ymir."</p><p>Suddenly, without warning, the room was gone. Historia froze.</p><p>She quickly realized she was once again in the paths. The first time it had happened had been when Eren announced to the world his intention to eradicate everyone outside of the island. When it had happened then, she'd seen countless other people dotted throughout the sandy landscape of the coordinate, including a strange young girl in the distance.</p><p>Now, however, she could see no one else at all.</p><p>She swallowed nervously. "Eren?"</p><p>Then, a hoarse female voice spoke, sounding like it hadn't been used in centuries.</p><p>
  <em> <strong>Historia. Eren is dead. Armin, Mikasa, and the others have achieved their goal. The rumbling will stop. Marley is gone, but the rest of the world has been saved. However, by choosing to save the world, they have damned Paradis. As a direct consequence of their actions, it will only be a matter of time before the full uninhibited wrath of the world falls upon Paradis island. I cannot allow this to happen. Since we have failed to secure a peaceful future for the people of Paradis, all I can do now is end their suffering.</strong> </em>
</p><p>Then, as suddenly as it had happened, it all stopped, and Historia was back in the same room as before, holding her infant daughter.</p><p>A feeling of icy dread filled her.</p><p>
  <em>What does that mean?</em>
</p><hr/><p>A loud crash came from the nearby room.</p><p>Niccolo groaned. "Great, sounds like someone dropped something."</p><p>He went around the corner, then abruptly stopped, his face overcome with shock.</p><p>"What the hell?"</p><p>The entire Blouse family had gone limp in their seats. Mrs. Blouse's head was on the table, while the glass of water Mr. Blouse had been holding lay shattered on the ground below his limp arm. Kaya had fallen out of her chair, with her plate right next to her, its contents spilling onto the floor. The other children were also in similar positions, as if they had suddenly been knocked out without warning.</p><p>Niccolo walked over to the table anxiously. "Mister Blouse? Are you all right?"</p><p>Niccolo grabbed his shoulder and gently shook him, but Mr. Blouse gave no indication he had heard him, his head lolling limply around.</p><p>After failing to wake him up, Niccolo pressed his fingers against the older man's neck.</p><p>Niccolo's eyes widened. "No way. He's...he's dead."</p><p>As if struck with a horrible realization, he checked the others pulses as well.</p><p>He stumbled back in disbelief, his hands shaking. "This can't be happening. They're all dead. How...how?"</p><p>He ran out of the building and toward the one where Historia was to try to find some help, but as he did so he was met with a dreadful sight.</p><p>There had been a number of MPs standing guard and patrolling outside of the building in order to protect the queen. While the MPs were normally rather lazy and corrupt, they at least took the job of guarding the queen seriously.</p><p>But now, all of them, without exception, were lying on the ground, unmoving, like puppets that had suddenly had their strings cut.</p><p>Not wanting to check to see if they were still alive, as he feared he already knew the answer, Niccolo burst into the building.</p><p>"Hello!" He shouted. "Is there anyone here?!"</p><p>He heard the faint cry of an infant. Relieved at this sign of life, he hurried into the room the noise was emanating from.</p><p>He walked through the door, and froze.</p><p>On the other side of the room Historia stood holding her daughter, her eyes wide in horror.</p><p>And before her, all of the doctors and nurses that had been helping her lay motionless on the ground, as still as the Braus family and the MPs had been.</p><p>"What...what happened?" Niccolo whispered.</p><p>Historia felt a lump in her throat. "I...I saw a vision...I think it was from the Founder...and it said...that Armin and Mikasa had stopped Eren...they had stopped the rumbling...and in order to spare the people of Paradis from the world's wrath…"</p><p>Niccolo's eyes widened in horror as he realized the full implications.</p><p>They stood there silently for quite a long time, the only sound being Ymir's soft breathing.</p><p>"Well…" Niccolo said hoarsely. "We...should probably get out of here...try to find...survivors…"</p><p>By survivors, they both knew he meant non Eldians, as those were the only ones who would have been unaffected by the Founder's power.</p><p>As they left the building and headed for the stables, doing their best to avert their gaze from the deceased, Historia wondered if this was her punishment for remaining silent.</p><p>She knew she was the worst girl in the world, and didn't deserve to be the only one who was spared.</p><hr/><p>THREE YEARS LATER</p><p>The sun was casting its warm rays on the land below, with only a few clouds dotting the gorgeous blue sky above. A pleasant breeze was blowing through the backyard of the modestly sized house, and the grass was swaying gently. In the woods just beyond the yard birds were singing, and bees were lazily floating from one flower to the next.</p><p>Ymir leaned against the picnic table, her youthful face lighting up in excitement.</p><p>"Yah, cake!" She cried.</p><p>Historia smiled before scooping her up. "Hold on sweetie, we have to wait until everyone takes their seat first."</p><p>Ymir let out a long sigh. "Yes mommy."</p><p>Historia pressed her lips against her daughter's forehead. "Very good."</p><p>The picnic table was set, with Ymir's birthday cake resting in the very center, three small candles on top to signify how old she was.</p><p>A moment later everyone had gathered around the table, and Armin, Annie, Gabi, Falco, Onyankapon, and Jean took their seats, while Historia, Niccolo, and Ymir sat at the end of the table.</p><p>"...Happy Birthday to you!"</p><p>Ymir blew out the candles with a giggle, and the others clapped, her cheerfulness being quite infectious.</p><p>Ymir looked at Historia anxiously. "Can I have some cake now?"</p><p>Niccolo smiled as he cut her the first piece. "Of course you can."</p><p>Her eyes lit up as the cake was placed in front of her.</p><p>Gabi giggled. "She's so adorable! I can't wait until I have kids of my own!"</p><p>Falco shook his head. "I think perhaps you should wait until you've finished growing up yourself."</p><p>Gabi grinned slyly at her boyfriend. "Oh, so we should stop doing certain activities until then?"</p><p>Falco's face went red. "Er…"</p><p>Armin laughed. "It's fine. You'll know when you're ready."</p><p>Armin gently squeezed his wife's hand, and Annie smiled back at him, her other hand resting on her slightly swollen belly.</p><p>Jean forced a smile, trying not to look jealous that Armin had found love before he had. "The baby is due in five months, right?"</p><p>Annie ducked her head. "Yeah. I just hope it doesn't decide it wants to come early like Ymir did."</p><p>"Sweetie, remember to use your fork." Niccolo chided Ymir.</p><p>"Okay."</p><p>Armin smiled at the cute young girl, and reflected on how much had changed over the past three years.</p><p>Things had been very difficult at first. Being forced to kill his comrades, and losing Hange, Levi, and Connie was hard enough. Having to kill his best friend in order to save the world was even worse. Knowing that millions of people were dead, and millions more were homeless, seemed like the worst thing of all.</p><p>But arriving back at Paradis only to find that the Founder had mercy killed the island's entire population, with the only survivors being Historia, her daughter, Niccolo, and a handful of the volunteers and Marleyan prisoners of war was on a whole other level of hell.</p><p>And yet...life went on.</p><p>With their home destroyed, the surviving members of the alliance had ended up accepting Kiyomi's offer of sanctuary. True to her word, Kiyomi had gone above and beyond in doing her best to help Eldia, and using her influence in Hizuru found homes for as many of the Eldians who had been displaced by the rumbling as she could.</p><p>Just as life had been difficult for the people of Paradis after Wall Maria fell, so too had life become difficult for the people of the world after the rumbling had killed off between 50% and 70% of the world's population. They didn't have an exact estimate, and they probably never would.</p><p>But there were some silver linings. For one, they weren't all crammed inside a set of walls, and for another, the threat that had wiped out so many people was truly gone for good.</p><p>And as the heroes who had saved the world, life had actually been fairly good for them.</p><p>As traumatizing as it had been, the process of leaving Paradis had helped Historia and Niccolo bond. And with Ymir's father dead, Niccolo had done his best to help Historia raise her daughter, with the two of them eventually getting married shortly after Armin and Annie had also tied the knot.</p><p>Gabi and Falco were still too young to marry, but had started dating about a year ago, and were quite happy together.</p><p>In gratitude for what they had done, Onyankapon was doing everything he could to help his Eldian friends, and made fairly regular trips between Hizuru and his home country.</p><p>While the world had generally become friendlier to Eldians now that the Titan powers were gone, and had recognized that it was people from the island who had saved them from Eren, they still tended to deem the heroes who stopped Eren as 'the good ones', and were content to see the destruction of Paradis as a righteous purge cleansing the world of the island devils who deserved to perish alongside the monster Eren had become.</p><p>Armin was working on writing down an account of his life and battles, with the intention of releasing it to the general population when it was finished, and it was his hope that with time the world would come to understand that Paradis had just been an island of people, not devils. But he also understood that the wounds from the rumbling were still fresh, and it would take time for people to be able to stand back and see the bigger picture.</p><p>But as flawed and cruel a place as it was, the world could still be very beautiful.</p><p>And as he held his wife's hand and watched Ymir eating her cake, he felt it again, that maybe the reason he had been born had been simply to enjoy this moment.</p><hr/><p>Jean ended up leaving the party early. As much as he enjoyed the others company, he found being around them draining after a while.</p><p>Part of it was the jealousy he felt that they had all managed to pair off. But a larger part was that all of them seemed to have moved on from what had happened better than he had.</p><p>This wasn't necessarily true. Maybe they were just much better at hiding their pain. Or maybe the emotional support they got from their significant other had helped ease the pain.</p><p>But either way, Jean often found himself feeling like the odd man out.</p><p>He slowly entered the small house he shared with no one. It was quite a nice place, and thanks to Kiyomi and her influence, he and the others had been well looked after, their status as the heroes who had saved the world all but guaranteeing them a good life from then on.</p><p>The rational side of him knew that they had done the right thing. There was no good justification for global genocide, and their actions had saved millions of lives.</p><p>But at the same time, a small niggling voice in the back of his head constantly reminded him of what saving the world had cost. And that small voice often came to him in his nightmares in the form of Floch's dying words.</p><p>
  <em>Don't go...please don't go...everyone...on the island...will die...our Devil...is...our only hope...</em>
</p><p>Floch had been right. Their actions had directly led to Paradis being destroyed. Even if the Founder hadn't directly interfered and killed everyone on the island, it would only have been a matter of time before it happened.</p><p>The world had already hated Paradis before the rumbling. This hatred had only increased a hundredfold after the rumbling, and would have resulted in cries for bloody revenge if Paradis had survived. That the world had backed the island into a corner, that they had shaped Eren into becoming what he was, that they shared some responsibility for what happened, never occurred to them.</p><p>And Jean couldn't entirely blame them. They had believed that Paradis was an island of devils, and by unleashing the rumbling and slaughtering hundreds of millions of people, Eren had proven them right. And was it really the fault of the people outside of the island that they had been born into a world that forced certain prejudices and biases onto them that they had almost no chance of correcting?</p><p>In the end, all of them were victims of circumstance.</p><p>Jean often wondered what they would have done if Paradis had survived. He and the other surviving members of the alliance would almost certainly have been branded as traitors, and likely been killed the moment they arrived back on the island. After all, the Yeagerists had seized control of the island, and they had the support of the people. There was no way the new regime would ever forgive them for killing their savior Eren.</p><p>And Jean knew that as a group the Yeagerists had succumbed to a tribalistic mentality of the worst kind, branding everyone outside of the island, ironically, as a devil. With Eren dead, there would have been no one left to rein in this awful mindset, and they likely would have set about trying to finish what Eren had started and either destroy or conquer the rest of the world. And they wouldn't see it as a horrible but necessary evil like Eren had, but rather as the divine right to rule that they held as Ymir's descendants.</p><p>Such a goal was, of course, completely delusional. Even after the rumbling the outside world still had the edge over the island in terms of development. The island was at a severe disadvantage, and with the Titan powers gone the only way they would have a chance of catching up with the rest of the world would be if they received outside help, help that would obviously never come.</p><p>While the Scouts had more or less been absorbed by the Yeagerists, Jean knew that there had been a few remnants of the Garrison and MPs that still held some power and influence in Paradis. These members of the old guard would likely realize the futility of trying to fight the world, and so would want to at least attempt peace talks with the world. The Yeagerists, of course, would never agree with this, and so what was left of the old government would be forced to either bow to the Yeagerists warped and delusional ideology, or else try to fight them and take back control of the island.</p><p>So that was what was what would have been in store for Paradis's future. It would either be taken over by a racist, fascist regime, or else it would be plunged into civil war. And either way, the outside world would eventually come in and destroy them in retribution for what Eren had done.</p><p>Perhaps Ymir had known that this is what would have happened, and rather than letting this tragic course of events play out, she had chosen to end it all in one fell swoop.</p><p>Even so, finding out that almost everyone he had ever known or cared about was dead had been a disturbing revelation, one that he still had nightmares about to this day.</p><p>Jean sighed and stared out of a nearby window.</p><p>Was there another way?</p><p>The rational part of him knew that the answer was no.</p><p>But the rest of him didn't have an answer, and he wasn't sure if he ever would.</p><hr/><p>Mikasa sat under the tree that overlooked the Hizuran wilderness. Her scarf was wrapped around her, and her gaze was melancholy.</p><p>After being forced to leave Paradis and flee to Hizuru, Mikasa had ended up burying Eren's head underneath a tree near the edge of Kiyomi's estate that reminded her of the one she'd often seen Eren sleeping under when they were kids. The grave was not marked aside from a stone with a vague epitaph written on it, as they didn't want to risk having anyone disturb it if they saw Eren's name.</p><p>Mikasa rested her hand on the stone. "Eren...everyone will be coming to visit you soon."</p><p>She and the others had enjoyed the benefits that had come with being the heroes who had saved the world, but with Eren's death and the destruction of Paradis these benefits felt very bittersweet.</p><p>"I hope you're happy."</p><p>Her scarf came partly unraveled, and tears began to stream down her cheeks.</p><p>She sniffed. "I...want to meet you again...someday…"</p><p>A bird flew down, and after lightly pecking at the scarf picked it up and tossed it over her shoulder before flying away.</p><p>She stared at it in shock before a watery smile came onto her face.</p><p>She lightly touched the scarf as she watched the bird fly away.</p><p>"Thank you...for wrapping this scarf around me...Eren…"</p><hr/><p>Author's Note: If you enjoyed this story, and if it gave you the closure that you weren't able to get from the canon ending, I'd really appreciate it if you could share this with other Attack on Titan fans who were also disappointed by the canon ending.</p><p>Part of me is tempted to give a really long explanation about why I made the choices I did with this story, but I'd like to think that my writing speaks for itself, and that it should be fairly obvious what I did and didn't like about the canon ending. If you would like to ask me specific questions, feel free to check out my discord server, the link is on my AO3 profile.</p><p>However, I would like to take a brief moment to give my overall, broad thoughts on the general quality of the writing of Attack on Titan towards the end.</p><p>Chapters 91-125: God tier. One of the best things I've ever read.</p><p>Chapters 126-136: Not quite God tier anymore, but still really really good.</p><p>Chapters 137-139: Garbage. What the fuck was he thinking?</p><p>Edit: Oh, right, I'd like to thank Rowboat Girlyman for previewing this story. Knew I'd forgotten something.</p><p>Also, if you want my more in depth thoughts on Attack on Titan's ending, I posted an essay/rant where I go into that. Check my other works, you should be able to figure out which one is the correct one.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Death and Rebirth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eren swung his fist into the Titan's face, another savage roar emanating from his lips.</p><p>
  <em>DIE!</em>
</p><p>The impact caused the Titan's face to cave in, and it stumbled backwards. Not giving it a chance to recover, Eren rushed forward, grabbed its neck with both hands, and crushed the nape into a pulp.</p><p>
  <em>I'LL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!</em>
</p><p>Another Titan came up behind him, but Eren was ready for it, and stuck his leg out, causing it to trip and fall. Before it hit the ground he grabbed its arms, and after planting his foot on the Titan's back he pulled on the arms as hard as he could until they were ripped from the Titan's body. The now armless Titan let out a low moan of pain that was music to Eren's ears before he raised his foot up and stomped on its nape.</p><p>
  <em>TAKE THAT YOU BASTARD!</em>
</p><p>He looked up to see that there were no more Titans nearby, but he could see them gathering around a building in the distance.</p><p>As he noticed this, his rage cooled slightly.</p><p>
  <em>What is going on? Hmm. Since I'm the same size as these buildings, I must be having an unusually vivid dream about killing Titans.</em>
</p><p>He shrugged and raised his fists as he jogged toward the Titan infested building.</p><p>
  <em>Well, I guess I'll just roll with it until I wake up. I can't say I like the idea of actually being a Titan, but it does make killing other Titans much easier.</em>
</p><p>He rushed at the building with a feral roar, and once again began to tear into the monsters that threatened humanity. Armed with the knowledge it was all a dream, and that he had the strength of a Titan, he lashed out against the other Titans with unrestrained fury, painting the environment with the blood and gore of his enemies.</p><p>Alas, his fun wasn't meant to last, as eventually his stamina began to run out, and the Titans finally managed to overwhelm him, pinning him against a nearby building and eating his flesh, destroying his arms in the process.</p><p>He let out an angry growl, but didn't struggle too much.</p><p>
  <em>So this is how this dream ends. I guess I should have expected that. Still, it was fun while it lasted, and really I'd much rather wake up and take on the Titans for real. I can't wait to-</em>
</p><p>His eyes widened in shock as he noticed a tall, thin Titan walking down the street toward him, and all at once his mind was flooded with rage.</p><p>
  <em>YOU BASTARD! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO KILLED THOMAS!</em>
</p><p>Gaining another burst of energy, he pushed himself through the crowd of Titans and clamped his jaws onto the neck of the monster that had killed his friend. He then swung it around to crush the bodies of the other Titans before hurling it at high speed into the last Titan standing, killing both of them instantly.</p><p>He let out a triumphant roar.</p><p>
  <em>I GOT YOU YOU SON OF A BITCH!</em>
</p><p>The last of his strength used up, he collapsed to the ground.</p><p>
  <em>Ha, serves you right for killing Thomas.</em>
</p><p>He froze. <em>Wait a minute…</em></p><p>As he recalled Thomas's death, his memories of what had happened immediately afterwards came flooding back.</p><p>Chasing after the Titan in a rage, getting his leg bitten off by another Titan, crashing onto the roof, seeing Armin about to be eaten, saving him, getting his arm bitten off, and being swallowed by a Titan.</p><p>And now here he was, lying on the ground with his arms missing.</p><p>
  <em>Huh?</em>
</p><p>As he thought it all through, he realized that he must have somehow escaped from the Titan, but was critically wounded, and ended up having a feverish dream in which he was a powerful Titan killing other Titans.</p><p>But now he'd woken up, and the fantasy he'd been enjoying was now gone to be replaced by harsh reality.</p><p>He could hear the distant thud of footsteps, and knew that the only possible source of the sound was another Titan.</p><p>He felt a grim sense of resignation pass through him. He didn't want to die, not before killing all the Titans, but his strength was gone, and he wouldn't be able to defend himself without arms. This looked like the end for him.</p><p>He let out a sigh through his nose.</p><p>
  <em>Armin...Mikasa...please be safe.</em>
</p><p>He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the end.</p><p>Suddenly the footsteps ended, and a dull boom permeated the air.</p><p>He turned his head, and saw the body of a Titan collapsed on the ground further down the street.</p><p>And perched on top of the Titan's carcass was the soldier that had killed it.</p><p>Eren's eyes widened.</p><p>
  <em>Mikasa!</em>
</p><p>The raven haired girl stood motionless on her felled prey, and was staring at him uncertainly.</p><p>
  <em>Why isn't she coming to help me? She's looking right at me.</em>
</p><p>He shifted to try to get a better look at her, and as he did so he realized that he was propping himself up slightly with his left arm.</p><p>He stared at it in shock.</p><p>
  <em>What...I...I thought it got bitten off. But it's...back? How is that possible?</em>
</p><p>He pushed himself to his feet, feeling thoroughly confused, and as he did so he realized two things.</p><p>The first was that he was naked, his uniform completely gone.</p><p>But as alarming as that realization was, it was nothing compared to the second realization, namely that he was just as tall as the nearby buildings.</p><p>
  <em>What the hell?</em>
</p><p>The slim hope he had that he was somehow standing in a miniature recreation of a city vanished as he spotted several other members of the 104th standing on a nearby roof.</p><p>Jean, Marco, and Armin were looking up at him apprehensively.</p><p>Eren looked down at his hands, which had started to tremble.</p><p>
  <em>This...all of this feels too vivid, too real, to be a dream. And unless the city and my friends have somehow magically been shrunk...the only explanation is…</em>
</p><p>He lifted his hands up and began to feel his face, panicking slightly as he realized just what was going on.</p><p>
  <em>I've...I've somehow become a Titan?! It wasn't a dream?! This is real?! How is that possible?! Is it permanent?! Is there no way for me to become human again?!</em>
</p><p>He glanced anxiously at his friends, only to realize that they had gone.</p><p>
  <em>They probably just think I'm some strange abnormal. Which, I suppose, I am. What...what do I do now?</em>
</p><p>He peered through his fingers, and suddenly spotted the inner gate in the distance.</p><p>He froze as memories of the Armored Titan barreling through Shiganshina's inner gate came flooding back.</p><p>
  <em>Well...I can't say I like the idea of being a Titan...especially not the idea of being a Titan for the rest of my life...but...it would make it a lot easier to fight against the other Titans. And if that Armored bastard makes another appearance, I might be the only one who could stop it.</em>
</p><p>His eyes narrowed, and he began to make his way over to the inner gate.</p><hr/><p>Most of the Titans that had gathered at the inner gate were too focused on the humans they could sense on the other side of the wall to pay attention to anything behind them, and so Eren was able to kill them all with little effort.</p><p>While earlier he'd been consumed with rage as he tore apart the Titans, now he was too confused and concerned about his situation to feel any real anger or passion anymore.</p><p>Once the area was cleared of Titans, Eren stood directly in front of the inner gate, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of the Armored Titan.</p><p>He was slightly worried that one of the soldiers might try to attack him, but so far they hadn't, and he was hopeful that his actions against the other Titans were enough to demonstrate that he wasn't like them.</p><p>Eventually he spotted two soldiers that had descended from the wall and landed on a nearby roof.</p><p>His eyes widened in shock.</p><p>
  <em>Armin! Mikasa! What are you two doing here?</em>
</p><p>He briefly thought about trying to communicate to them who he was, but quickly dismissed that as a bad idea. He'd tried speaking earlier just to see if he could, but it seemed that his Titan mouth and vocal cords were not at all designed with human speech in mind, as all he had managed were some growls and grunts, neither of which would be of any use if he wanted to do anything other than frighten people.</p><p>He subtly shifted himself so that he was closer to his two friends while keeping his gaze fixed on the main street of Trost.</p><p>"How are we supposed to do this Armin? I know we said that we would try to communicate with this abnormal, but I don't see how that's going to be possible."</p><p>"I know. I'm thinking, I'm thinking…"</p><p>
  <em>So, they want to communicate with me? Well, maybe if we stick with yes or no questions that could work, at least for now.</em>
</p><p>Eren turned to look at them, and they both froze.</p><p>Mikasa looked wary, while Armin looked slightly terrified.</p><p>Armin forced a smile. "H-hello there! Thank you for saving us earlier!"</p><p>Eren nodded.</p><p>Armin's eyes widened. "Wait. Can you understand us?"</p><p>Eren nodded again.</p><p>"Wow." Mikasa said faintly.</p><p>Looking slightly more confident, Armin asked another question.</p><p>"Are you here to help us?"</p><p>Another nod.</p><p>"Can you...will you do what you can to help us stop the other Titans?"</p><p>A firm nod.</p><p>"Great!" Armin let out a relieved smile. "Listen, I have a plan, but we'll need to organize some things with the rest of the Garrison. Just...just stay here until we get things ready, okay?"</p><p>Eren nodded once more.</p><p>A smile lit up Mikasa's face. "Well, Armin, if it's being honest, this just might work."</p><p>"Yeah. I just hope the others will be willing to trust it."</p><p>
  <em>I can hear you guys you know.</em>
</p><p>Eren shook his head as his two friends scaled back up the wall. He didn't know exactly what Armin had in mind, but his friend was smart. If anyone could get them out of this, it was him.</p><hr/><p>A short time later, Armin and Mikasa returned with several Garrison soldiers in tow.</p><p>One of the female soldiers looked at Eren with a mixture of skepticism and nervousness.</p><p>"You say that it can understand us?"</p><p>Eren looked at her and nodded, much to her astonishment.</p><p>"Wow, it really can!" Another one of the soldiers exclaimed.</p><p>The leader looked unsure. "It could just be reacting instinctively to our voices and body language."</p><p>He held up his hand, three of his fingers on display. "How many fingers am I holding up?"</p><p>Eren raised his hand, with three fingers extended.</p><p>The leader gaped in astonishment. "Um, how many soldiers are gathered on this roof right now?"</p><p>Eren raised five fingers.</p><p>"Shit, it looks like it really can understand human speech, at least to some extent."</p><p>He glanced at the two recruits. "If it obeys our orders, this might actually work."</p><p>"R-right."</p><p>Armin raised his voice. "You said you would help us, yes? Well, we have a plan."</p><p>Eren leaned in closer, making the soldiers slightly nervous, but Armin did his best to remain calm while he explained his plan.</p><p>After luring most of the Titans into one corner of the district, they would have Eren pick up the boulder and use it to manually plug the hole in the wall, with the advance team protecting him from any Titans that might happen to get in his way.</p><p>"And that's it. It's a fairly straightforward plan." Armin concluded.</p><p>He turned back toward Eren. "Do you think you can do it?"</p><p>Eren nodded without hesitation.</p><p>In his Titan form, lifting such a boulder would be no problem.</p><hr/><p>Okay, maybe it was a slight problem.</p><p>He was still able to do it, but the boulder was much heavier than he had anticipated, and it was putting a considerable strain on his new Titan body. Just putting one foot in front of the other was difficult, and he was completely unable to defend himself at all, being entirely dependent on the advance team for protection.</p><p>Fortunately, it appeared that most of the Titans had successfully been lured away, with only a handful still in the way that needed to be cut down or distracted.</p><p>Still, Eren wasn't at all happy about Armin and Mikasa being a part of the advance team. He'd been strongly tempted to try to convince them to go back up the wall where it was safe. But he couldn't speak, and any other nonverbal attempts to communicate what he wanted them to know could easily have been misinterpreted as an act of aggression by the nervous Garrison soldiers, so he'd reluctantly restrained himself and hoped that they would be okay.</p><p>It gave him just one more reason to plug the hole as quickly as possible.</p><p>It seemed to take an agonizingly long time to reach the destroyed gate, each footstep being a laborious effort, and every time he saw a soldier eaten or crushed by a Titan he felt a flare of anger and regret.</p><p>But at last, finally, he made it to the breach, and with an almighty roar he flung the boulder off of his shoulders and into the hole, sealing it and ending the Titan incursion into Trost.</p><p>His task finished, he found himself unable to ignore the exhaustion that had settled into his bones, and he slumped over against the boulder, his consciousness leaving him.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Eren...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>If you want to save them all...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>If you want to save Armin and Mikasa…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You must master this power.</em>
</p><hr/><p>Armin and Mikasa stood on the Titan's back, in awe of their savior.</p><p>"We did it!" Mikasa exclaimed. "It actually saved us!"</p><p>"But what do we do now?" Armin cried. "It looks like the abnormal has passed out, and considering that that boulder probably weighed more than it did I can't blame it. How are we supposed to keep the other Titans away from it?"</p><p>As he was speaking, several Titans that had been lured away by the Garrison advance team began to walk back toward the wall, their hungry gaze fixed on the abnormal Titan.</p><p>But before they could get any closer, they suddenly fell to the ground, dead.</p><p>A second later, a soldier with the wings of freedom on his cloak landed on the abnormal Titan's back.</p><p>Armin and Mikasa's eyes widened as they recognized who it was.</p><p>Captain Levi stared at them coolly. "Alright, now's the part where one of you explains exactly what I'm looking at."</p><hr/><p>With the abnormal secured and the breach sealed, the rest of the battle went fairly smoothly. Most of the Titans were disposed of by the Garrison by the wall mounted cannons, which fired continuously all through the night and into the day. The Scouts dealt with any Titans that attempted to approach the unconscious abnormal, and by the afternoon Trost was fully secured once more.</p><p>However, the cleanup would take quite some time, and there had been many casualties.</p><p>Walking through the dirty streets in an attempt to find and move the bodies of those who had died, Marco grimaced and held a cloth to his face.</p><p>"This is…"</p><p>Jean nodded, a haunted expression on his face. "I know."</p><p>A defensive perimeter had been formed around the boulder and the abnormal, because while they were grateful to the Titan for its help, they were still wary of the unknown, and wanted to be prepared in case it turned hostile.</p><p>Most of the soldiers guarding the perimeter were Scouts, though there were a few Garrison soldiers as well.</p><p>Hannes strolled up to the perimeter, a tired smile lighting up his face.</p><p>"Well, if it isn't our resident Titan whisperers."</p><p>Armin and Mikasa turned around, and their faces lit up.</p><p>"Hannes!"</p><p>He gave them a rough hug. "It's good to see you two. I'm glad you guys made it through okay."</p><p>His smile faded. "I...I heard about Eren."</p><p>Mikasa nodded, her eyes going cold, while Armin bit his lip, struggling to hold back tears.</p><p>Hannes sighed. "Well, he always was a reckless kid. But I think he'd be glad that you two are okay. And he'd definitely be happy to know that we managed to turn the tide against the Titans. Though he probably would have been shocked to know it was with the help of a Titan."</p><p>Hannes looked over, and managed to catch a glimpse of the Titan collapsed next to the boulder. "So that's the abnormal, huh? I've heard some people referring to it as the Rogue Titan, which seems fitting, given its unusual behavior for a Titan."</p><p>Mikasa nodded, her eyes slightly warmer. "Yes. It's...it's almost like a miracle. I…"</p><p>Suddenly, the Titan began to stir.</p><p>"Oh!" Mikasa gasped.</p><p>She abruptly began to run toward it.</p><p>Armin took after her, glancing back at Hannes apologetically. "Sorry, she wanted to be there when it woke up so she could thank it."</p><p>Hannes laughed. "That's fine."</p><p>While Mikasa and Armin ran over to the Titan, several Scouts were already nearby. Three of them were Erwin, who was observing the Titan with a neutral expression, Levi, who was watching it cautiously, and Hange, who was shaking with excitement.</p><p>"Hange, we really shouldn't be this close." Moblit said anxiously, tugging on her arm in a vain attempt to get her to step back.</p><p>"Don't be such a worrywart, Moblit, it's fine!" Hange exclaimed, her eyes wide in anticipation as the Titan slowly began to rise. "It helped seal the breach, so it's clearly on our side!"</p><p>"Maybe so, but you really should be more cautious. We don't know anything about it yet."</p><p>The Titan gave a big, toothy yawn, which cause Hange to shriek in excitement. The noise got the Titan's attention, and it froze, it's eyes widening as it realized it was surrounded on all sides by soldiers, most of whom looked nervous.</p><p>Hange, of course, was the one exception.</p><p>"Hello up there!" She yelled, waving her arms. "Can you understand me? Thank you for helping us! We're really grateful to you for saving Trost! Now what kind of abnormal are you? The others said you're intelligent, but to what extent? How much of the human language do you understand? What do you-"</p><p>"Hange, shut up." Levi said crossly. "Don't overwhelm it with questions. That's not a good idea, even if it can understand us."</p><p>Mikasa and Armin reached the Scouts, and the Titan's eyes softened when it noticed them.</p><p>Mikasa called out. "Thank you for your help!"</p><p>The Titan nodded, much to the soldiers astonishment and Hange's delight.</p><p>Armin felt intimidated, both by the Titan, and the numerous high ranking Scouts standing nearby, but he forced himself to remain calm, and asked the question that had been bothering him the most.</p><p>"Thank you! But, if you don't mind me asking, why did you help us?"</p><p>The Titan stared at him for a moment before reaching his hand out.</p><p>All the Scouts tensed, worried that it was about to grab Armin, but its hand fell far short of the young recruit.</p><p>Instead, using its index finger it began to carve something into the stone surface before it.</p><p>When it was done, it sat back, and they were able to see what it had carved.</p><p>I AM EREN</p><p>Mikasa's eyes widened in shock.</p><p>"Eren…" She whispered.</p><p>She looked up at the Titan. "Is it really you?"</p><p>The Titan nodded, and as she noted just how similar its eyes were to Eren's she felt her heart breaking, her grief fading away and replaced with a profound relief.</p><p>Before she knew what she was doing she had used her ODM gear to soar up to the Titans face and wrapped her arms around its cheek, her tears spilling out and involuntary cries emanating from her throat.</p><p>A low rumble issued from Eren's throat, and a few tears fell from his eyes as well.</p><p>"Eren?" Levi frowned.</p><p>Hange scratched her head, her enthusiasm fading slightly. "Hang on...wasn't that the name of one of the cadets that died in the battle?"</p><p>Armin nodded slowly, his face frozen in disbelief. "Yes. I...I saw him die. I saw him...get eaten."</p><p>He shuddered. "How...what is going on?"</p><p>After Mikasa had calmed down somewhat and moved onto Eren's shoulder, Hange resumed her questioning.</p><p>"So, your name is Eren? So that means you were originally human, but you somehow became a Titan? How did that happen?"</p><p>At once, Eren began to carve into the stone again. This time he carved a longer message.</p><p>MEMORIES FUZZY. DAD GAVE INJECTION AFTER MARIA BREACH. ANSWERS IN SHIGANSHINA BASEMENT.</p><p>Mikasa gasped. <em>So then…</em></p><p><em>It was Dr. Yeager?</em> Armin wondered.</p><p>Erwin stepped forward, looking intrigued.</p><p>"So, Eren, your father is the one who made you into this, and his basement could hold the answers to where the Titans and your abilities came from?"</p><p>Eren nodded.</p><p>Erwin rubbed his chin. "I see. From what I read in the reports, you were determined to join the Scouts. If you're still willing, we could definitely use your extraordinary ability to help in humanity's struggle to survive. And if we can make it to that basement, we might learn more about the Titans, and possibly even discover a way to return you to your human form. What do you say?"</p><p>Erwin, Levi, Hange, Armin, Mikasa, and the other soldiers looked at Eren expectantly.</p><p>Eren stared down at Erwin for a moment before giving his first heartfelt salute in Titan form.</p><hr/><p>Author's Note: So originally I'd meant to get this story out much earlier, but then the leaks for 139 came out, and, well, as you might have already guessed from the previous story, my attention was thoroughly occupied elsewhere. But after my version of the ending was finished and I'd had some time to process everything, I finally got around to finishing this one.</p><p>I've seen a number of AOT fan stories about what if Eren had been permanently fused to his Titan when he first transformed. The problem with these stories is that they're either not very good, or they get abandoned before they can really flesh the idea out properly. So I figured I'd try my hand at it here, as I do think it's a really interesting concept, one I may come back to in the future.</p><p>Anyways, be sure to let me know what you think, and stay tuned for more.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Something To Live For</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Annie stood in front of her guardian, her face emotionless.</p><p>He stared down at her. "You've done well Annie. The big mission is tomorrow."</p><p>She nodded. She tried to drum up some sort of emotion for what was about to happen, but found herself unable to.</p><p>She didn't care about the upcoming mission. She didn't care that she was going to have to confront the supposed island devils. She didn't care that they had to retrieve the Founding Titan.</p><p>She had no reason <em>to</em> care. All her life she'd gone through the motions, done what was expected of her, and simply went with the flow. But she'd been unable to find any real meaning or purpose behind any of it.</p><p>Perhaps it was because she'd been raised to think that she and those like her were devils. Or perhaps it was because the man who had brought her up clearly only saw her as a means to an end, a way for him to improve his standard of living through Marley's warrior program, and harbored no real affection for her.</p><p>In any case, no one else seemed to value or care about her life, and considering how dull and dreary her life had been so far, she found herself unable to value or care about anything else in return.</p><p>He folded his arms. "Make the motherland proud. Do not disappoint me."</p><p>She nodded again, and a short time later she was dismissed and headed upstairs for bed.</p><p>She contemplated the mission once more, and how dangerous it could be. She wondered if she would ever see him again.</p><p>She wondered if it really mattered either way.</p><hr/><p>"WAAH!" Reiner screamed, before his face fell in shock as he realized it was just Annie.</p><p>She stared down at him, her breathing labored. "Not bad...that's the...first time...I've ever...lost to you...in a foot race…"</p><p>She saw Bertolt slump down out of the corner of her eye.</p><p>Her breathing slowly calmed down. "If we...had immediately gotten a hold of the Titan...that ate Marcel...we wouldn't have lost the Jaw Titan. But you two ran...and I ended up following along."</p><p>She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "Damn it...Marcel...won't ever get to go home…"</p><p>Reiner looked up at her anxiously. "But...there weren't supposed to be any Titans yet! Aren't they supposed to be closer to the wall?"</p><p>"Not all of them." Bertolt replied quietly. "We were taught that some Titans are abnormal, and won't behave predictably."</p><p>Annie turned around. "Enough. Let's go back."</p><p>"Huh?" Reiner said.</p><p>She glanced at him. "We'll find the Jaws, and then we'll go back. The Titan will probably have turned back into a human by now, and it's not like we can continue the mission without Marcel's leadership. The plan...has already failed."</p><p>Annie and Bertolt started to walk back the way they had come, but Reiner remained where he was.</p><p>He held out a hand. "Wait. No...we can't go back. We'll continue the plan."</p><p>She looked at him with contempt. "True. <em>You</em> can't go back like this. If you go back to Marley now, they'll strip you of the Armor for this disgrace. The next warrior will eat you. Not that it makes any difference to me."</p><p>"Why are you so sure that'd only happen to me?" Reiner spread out his hands. "How do you know they'll hold just me accountable for all three of us running away? Are you two really confident that you'll escape the same fate?"</p><p>Annie and Bertolt stared at him, looking slightly startled and unsettled.</p><p>Seeing that he had their attention, Reiner continued. "And also, getting the Jaws back isn't a good idea. What if the user uses its power? With its speed, there's no way our Titans could ever catch it without the Cart Titan's help!"</p><p>Bertolt tilted his head in confusion. "How could anyone learn to use the power of a Titan that fast?"</p><p>"You were able to use the Colossal Titan right away!" Reiner yelled. "Anyway, if we try to capture the Jaw Titan and fail, we'll just end up using our Titan powers for nothing, and when our strength runs out we might get eaten by other Titans lurking around! And if we go back to the docks with nothing to show for it but this fiasco, we'll be done for anyway!"</p><p>Bertolt remained silent.</p><p>Reiner's voice became more quiet. "If we ever want to go back home, we need results. We need the Founder. We can't go back without it now."</p><p>Annie stared at him for a long time before letting out a long sigh and throwing her hands up into the air.</p><p>"You know what, fine. This is unbelievably stupid though."</p><p>Bertolt seemed surprised, while Reiner appeared relieved.</p><p>As for Annie, though, she felt nothing but indifference. As stupid as Reiner's idea was, in the end it didn't really matter.</p><p>It wasn't like she had anything to look forward to back home.</p><hr/><p>Annie looked around the training grounds, feeling bored. She'd stalked away from the others after the opening ceremony, wanting to be alone for the moment.</p><p>It had been two years since they broke down Wall Maria, and during that time they'd learned a great deal.</p><p>The first major revelation was that apparently the 145th king had erased the memories of the people of the walls, making them forget their Eldian heritage and leaving them to believe they were the last of humanity in a world overrun by Titans.</p><p>Ever since learning this Annie had been wracked with guilt. Not only had they attacked and killed people who had done nothing to them, but the people didn't even remember what their ancestors had (supposedly) done. They were entirely blameless, nothing more than victims of circumstance.</p><p>Reiner, of course, held onto the doctrines they'd been taught about the island devils, insisting that these people were all evil and they deserved it. His ideological rants had been annoying back when they were Warrior cadets, and after they had infiltrated the wall his ramblings had gone from irritating to infuriating. Some days it was all she could do to stop herself from hitting him.</p><p>Bertolt, at least, seemed to have a better grasp of the situation. These people weren't devils, and they hadn't done anything wrong. Still, they had a mission that they had to carry out, and they needed to see it through.</p><p>In light of that goal, they had joined the military cadets, with the hope that they would be able to gain a spot with the MPs and thus be in a better position to investigate Wall Sina and sniff out the true royal family.</p><p>Annie found herself pulled from her thoughts by the sound of nearby footsteps.</p><p>She turned her head and saw a blond haired young man she'd seen at the opening ceremony.</p><p>He smiled shyly at her. "Hi! Nice to meet you, I'm Armin. It was Annie, right?"</p><p>"Yeah." She said dully.</p><p>A slight tinge appeared on his cheeks. "That's a nice name."</p><p>She shrugged. "I guess."</p><p>"So, what made you want to be a soldier?"</p><p>She paused, unsure of how to answer that question.</p><p>In truth, she didn't. She'd never considered what she really wanted. She'd never been allowed to. Everything that she'd done in her life had been planned out for her by someone else. By her guardian, by Marley, by Reiner.</p><p>It was a little unnerving to suddenly realize that she had no idea what she truly wanted.</p><p>She shook her head. "Dunno."</p><p>He laughed nervously. "That's a strange answer."</p><p>Eager to get rid of her troubled thoughts, she turned the question back on him. "What about you? Why'd you become a soldier?"</p><p>"Well...the main reason is because my friends did, and I didn't want to be left behind."</p><p>She blinked. "I see…"</p><p>She vaguely remembered seeing him arrive with two other cadets, a guy and a girl.</p><p>"You guys must be pretty close."</p><p>He nodded, his face turning serious. "Yeah. I know I wouldn't have survived in the refugee camps without their help."</p><p>Her expression didn't change, but inside familiar feelings of guilt and shame came back, coiling inside her.</p><p>"So, you guys are from Wall Maria?" She murmured, unable to maintain eye contact. "I'm sorry."</p><p>"Don't be, it's not your fault."</p><p>He gave her another shy smile. "Well, I'll see you around."</p><p>As he turned around and left, she felt a conflicted mix of emotions. Guilt was part of it.</p><p>But something about his smile had sent a swooping sensation through her stomach, like she'd missed a step on a flight of stairs.</p><p>She rubbed her forehead.</p><p>
  <em>These next three years may be...interesting.</em>
</p><hr/><p>As training went on, Annie ended up getting to know the other cadets better. As well as Armin, she also ended up interacting a fair bit with his two friends, Eren and Mikasa, both of whom had also lost their homes and families when Wall Maria fell.</p><p>In some ways the training felt very familiar, as she'd already gone through similar courses and exercises in Marley. But in other ways it was quite different.</p><p>The most marked change was the ODM gear, which was a central part of their training. As they believed that they were the last of humanity, the people of the walls had developed weapons and fighting techniques specifically designed to kill Titans. As primitive and behind the times as they were in other areas, Annie had to admit that the ODM gear was quite the clever concept, and mastering it was tricky even for her.</p><p>But another more subtle yet somehow even more important change was the attitude behind the training. In Marley, she and the other Warriors had constantly been reminded of their status as descendants of devils, always taught to think less of themselves, always told that they needed to help Eldia atone for its countless sins.</p><p>But here, everyone was treated as an equal. All that mattered was your actions, not how you were born or what race you belonged to. In fact, the people of the walls didn't even seem to really have a concept with race, the only exception being Mikasa's half Asian heritage, and even that was paid little attention.</p><p>It was...nice. Refreshing, to be seen and judged for her own merits, not what others had already decided about her.</p><p>And the training was also almost cathartic. It provided her with an escape from the guilt that plagued her whenever she contemplated what she and the others had done to Wall Maria. It was easy to just pretend that she was the same as everyone else, and was just another soldier doing her best to protect humanity.</p><p>She could tell that Bertolt and Reiner were also using the training as a means of escape, as a way of coping with their guilt. Of course, whenever the three of them were alone, Reiner would instantly go back to his monologues about the island devils, about how evil they were, and how they weren't really friends, he was just gaining their trust for purely strategic reasons.</p><p>She honestly wasn't sure if he was trying to fool them or himself. But either way it was aggravating to hear him prattle on as if they still held onto a moral high ground that they had in actuality abandoned long ago. And during these conversations, she once again often felt a very strong urge to hit Reiner.</p><p>But of course she didn't. After all, they had a mission, and it wasn't like they could just abandon it.</p><p>Such an idea was unthinkable.</p><p>Right?</p><hr/><p>Annie leapt onto the roof, and was startled by what she saw.</p><p>Reiner had pinned Marco down, while Bertolt was standing nearby looking anxious.</p><p>Marco looked up at her desperately. "Annie! Save me!"</p><p>"What is going on here?!" She cried.</p><p>"Reiner's acting crazy!" Marco yelped.</p><p>"He heard us talking." Reiner said grimly. "We can't let him live."</p><p>Annie's eyes widened in horror. "Are you kidding me?! You dumbasses!"</p><p>She'd had mixed feelings about the attack on Trost from the beginning, only grudgingly conceding to Reiner's plan. And then he had to go and do something stupid like this.</p><p>Marco looked confused by her response.</p><p>"Ah!" Bertolt yelled as he looked down the street. "There's a Titan coming!"</p><p>Reiner glanced at the distant Titan before pressing Marco up against the wall of the nearby roof.</p><p>"Annie! Take Marco's ODM gear off of him!" Reiner ordered.</p><p>Marco's eyes widened in panic. "What?!"</p><p>Annie froze.</p><p>"Do it!" Reiner shouted. "Hurry!"</p><p>"Why me?" She said angrily. "You two caused this mess! Get Bertolt to do it for you!"</p><p>"No, you do it!"</p><p>"Why should I?"</p><p>Reiner's eyes narrowed. "You just risked your own life to save Connie's, didn't you? Why would you put yourself in that kind of danger?! Have you started to feel compassion for this evil race?!"</p><p>Reiner glared at her furiously. "If not, prove me wrong right now! If you and your father, who's waiting for you to come home, are any different from this defiled race, prove it to me right now!"</p><p>As Reiner's words rang in her ears, and she was reminded of her indifferent guardian for the first time in years, something inside of her snapped.</p><p>Her leg flew up and kicked Reiner in the face, sending him sprawling onto the roof, several of his teeth clattering against the wooden surface.</p><p>Marco and Bertolt looked utterly shocked.</p><p>Before Reiner could recover, Annie rushed over to him and proceeded to kick the living shit out of him, knocking out more of his teeth, breaking ribs, and rupturing internal organs.</p><p>"FUCK OFF!" She shrieked, her face livid. "I'M SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR BULLSHIT! HONORARY MARLEYAN?! CHOSEN WARRIOR?! FUCK THEM ALL! THEY ONLY CARE ABOUT THEMSELVES! AND I'M NO DIFFERENT! I CAN'T STAND THIS ANYMORE! THE GUILT, THE LIES, THE KILLING! I'M SICK OF IT ALL! I DON'T CARE IF THE WALLS ARE DOOMED! I DON'T CARE IF THE WORLD HAS DEEMED THESE PEOPLE DEVILS! I'D RATHER DIE WITH THEM THAN LIVE WITH PIECES OF SHIT LIKE YOU!"</p><p>Bertolt looked at her in horror. "Annie! What about your father?!"</p><p>"FUCK HIM!" She bellowed. "I HAVE NO FATHER!"</p><p>Reiner managed to push her away, and a spark appeared on the swollen ruin of his face.</p><p>Realizing what was about to happen, Annie yelled over her shoulder.</p><p>"MARCO, GET OUT OF HERE!"</p><p>"YOU TRAITOR!" Reiner roared.</p><p>Marco swooped away with his gear, and as he looked back he saw Annie and Reiner's bodies being engulfed in a bright light.</p><p>His eyes widened. <em>So I was right.</em></p><hr/><p>As the thunderous booms grew louder and louder, Mikasa's eyes widened as she spotted the source of the sounds.</p><p>The Rogue Titan was carrying the boulder, steam pouring out from its body as it slowly moved the heavy object down the street, each step an effort.</p><p>The other Garrison soldiers were staring in awe.</p><p>"Eren…" Mikasa whispered.</p><p>"Mikasa!"</p><p>Mikasa and the Garrison leader Ian turned around.</p><p>"Armin!" She gasped.</p><p>He nodded at them. "He came out of it somehow! We're set! He's determined to see the mission through to the end! As long as we've got his back while he heads for the wall, victory will be ours!"</p><p>Ian's gaze grew determined, and he raised his voice. "Defend him! To the last man if that's what it comes to! Eren must reach the gate! I don't want a single Titan anywhere near him!"</p><p>The soldiers got ready to head back into the fray. Directly in Eren's path was a group of Titans that would need to be dealt with if he was going to reach the gate.</p><p>Ian turned to the two childhood friends. "Both of you go, I want you in there immediately! Hop to soldiers! That's an order!"</p><p>Armin and Mikasa nodded. "Sir yes sir!"</p><p>Ian headed for the edge of the roof, but paused when he noticed something strange.</p><p>"What the hell is team Mitabi doing?!"</p><p>In the distance they could see Mitabi's team running on the ground right behind the Titans. Soon it became clear that their goal was to lure the Titans away from Eren, using themselves as bait.</p><p>"They're insane!" Armin cried. "Setting foot down there is suicide! If they get cornered somewhere, there wouldn't be anything they could do!"</p><p>As the Garrison watched Team Mitabi, and took in the number of Titans still in their way, they slowly realized that they would need to do the same in order to guarantee victory.</p><p>"I know." Ian said gravely.</p><p>But before he could issue any further orders, a massive flash of light came from further back in the city.</p><p>As one, the soldiers turned toward the light, but were unable to see what had caused it.</p><p>"What was that?" Ian exclaimed.</p><p>Armin frowned. "It's the same kind of flash that occurred when the Colossal Titan first appeared. I don't see anything though. Could it be the Armored?"</p><p>Closer to the source of the flash of light, Bertolt was close to hysterics.</p><p>"GUYS! PLEASE STOP!" He screamed.</p><p>But no one else besides him heard his words, so loud was the brawl between the Female and Armored Titans.</p><p>While Reiner's Titan was technically more powerful, he was nowhere near as proficient at hand to hand combat as Annie was. On top of that, he was still disoriented from the beating she'd given to his human body, and so it didn't take long before his defenses cracked and she proceeded to do to his Titan the same thing she'd done to him. His armor protected him from the worst of it, but he still wasn't looking too good by the end.</p><p>As Annie considered the full ramifications of what she was doing, she realized there was no going back now.</p><p>Her eyes hardened. <em>Well, if I'm already in this deep, might as well go all the way.</em></p><p>She raised her head and screamed.</p><p>The animalistic howl could be heard all throughout Trost, catching the attention of every soldier on the wall and within the district.</p><p>As one, all of the Titans immediately began to run, converging on the source of the scream.</p><p>Pixis and his subordinates watched in stunned disbelief as all the Titans they had carefully gathered in the corner of the district abruptly began to run away, suddenly ignoring the soldiers they'd been so eagerly reaching for mere seconds ago.</p><p>"What on earth?!" Anka cried.</p><p>Pixis frowned as he watched the Titans flee, taking into account the flash he'd seen, the scream that had shortly followed, and the Titans unexpected behavior.</p><p>
  <em>They must be linked somehow.</em>
</p><p>Ian and the other Garrison soldiers were shocked as the Titans in front of them suddenly ignored both Eren and their comrades and began to run back into the city.</p><p>"The Titans…" Mikasa stammered. "What are they doing?"</p><p>Armin's eyes lit up. "I don't know, but the way is clear for Eren now!"</p><p>Reiner's Titan was leaning against a building, steam pouring from its numerous injuries, while Annie exited her Titan and used her ODM gear to zip off to higher rooftops.</p><p>She glanced back with only a slight twinge of regret.</p><p>
  <em>Sorry Bertolt.</em>
</p><p>Bertolt landed on the Armored Titan's shoulder, his expression panicked. "Reiner! Get up! We need to get out of here! Before…"</p><p>He wasn't able to finish the sentence before the horde of Titans was upon them.</p><p>"AAH!" Bertolt screamed.</p><p>With all the Titans gone, Eren was able to plug the hole without difficulty, and without any further sacrifices required from the soldiers.</p><p>The Garrison soldiers cheered. "WE DID IT!"</p><p>Crying in relief, Rico fired a smoke signal in the air to indicate that the mission had succeeded.</p><p>Ian grinned. "Alright, secure Eren and let's get the hell out of here!"</p><p>Mikasa and Armin nodded, and began to head for the gate, where Eren's Titan had collapsed due to exhaustion.</p><p>The horde had come close to overwhelming Reiner, his armor being the only thing preventing them from killing him outright. It was all he could do to keep himself and Bertolt from being killed as they pressed their creepy faces and grasping hands into him.</p><p>Reiner looked around desperately. <em>Damn it, there's too many! I can't get out of this! And if I exit the nape we're both done for!</em></p><p>Bertolt leaned into the Armored Titan's ear. "Reiner, brace yourself! I'm going to kill these Titans, and head for the wall! While I'm doing that, you try to capture Eren, and then we'll escape over the wall! It's the only way!"</p><p>Reiner's eyes widened, but a moment later he nodded. It wasn't a great plan, but they had no other choice.</p><p>Pixis smiled in relief as he spotted the smoke signal. "Well, it looks like our little gamble paid off."</p><p>Anka nodded. "Looks like it sir. For once, things have gone humanity's way."</p><p>Then, all at once a massive explosion erupted in the district, producing a light so bright it forced everyone who saw it to squint, and sending out winds strong enough that they could be felt even by people on top of the wall a long distance away.</p><p>Armin and Mikasa paused in their approach to Eren and looked back toward the explosion.</p><p>A moment later, a truly gargantuan form stood up in the middle of Trost district, the ruins of countless buildings and the corpses of numerous Titans scattered all around the area where it had appeared.</p><p>Mikasa gasped in shock, her eyes widening in fear.</p><p>Armin felt his knees shaking, his mind going right back to that fateful day when the wall had been kicked in.</p><p>Anka's mouth had fallen open.</p><p>"It's the Colossal Titan!"</p><p>While the soldiers around him began to talk, their voices full of fear and panic, Pixis found his mind racing.</p><p>
  <em>From Eren's ability we now know that there are humans that can transform into Titans. There was that strange flash of light and unearthly howl that didn't seem to have anything to do with Eren, seeing as he was busy plugging up the wall. And now the Colossal Titan has suddenly appeared in the middle of the district, seemingly out of nowhere. Something strange is going on.</em>
</p><p>He raised his voice. "All soldiers, mobilize to the outer gate! We must not let the Colossal Titan create another breach, nor can we allow it to escape!"</p><p>Even as the soldiers began to move, Pixis knew it was too late. They wouldn't get there in time, and so it would be up to the soldiers already near the outer gate to stop the Colossal Titan.</p><p>The Colossal Titan slowly began to move toward the outer gate. From the outside, it was a menacing, frightening spectacle to behold.</p><p>Inside, though, it was all Bertolt could do to avoid panicking.</p><p>
  <em>Okay, stay calm. Things do look bad, really really bad. Marcel is dead, and Annie has gone native. Losing the Jaw and Female Titans will not go down well with Marley at all. But if we can capture Eren, we might still be able to salvage the situation. If he has the Founding Titan, then we're set, they won't even care about the losses. And if he isn't...well, it'll still be better than nothing.</em>
</p><p>He swallowed nervously. <em>Annie...why?</em></p><p>As the Garrison soldiers near the outer gate were trying to figure out what to do about the approaching Colossal Titan, they were distracted by another problem.</p><p>"Shit, it's the Armored Titan!" Ian yelled.</p><p>The Armored Titan barreled down the street, and if it had wanted to kill the Garrison soldiers it could easily have done so, as none of them were prepared for its sudden appearance.</p><p>Fortunately for them, it ignored them completely and kept moving on past.</p><p>Reiner paid no heed to the soldiers on the ground and on the rooftops. His eyes were focused solely on his target, Eren.</p><p>
  <em>I was forced to transform a second time, since Annie's attack and Bertolt's transformation did quite a number on my original Titan body. But now I've got a fresh Titan body ready to go. Eren's a complete novice. He only just discovered his power, and carrying that boulder has clearly taken its toll. He won't be able to transform again, and will be easy to take.</em>
</p><p>Reiner's eyes narrowed. <em>Bertolt...we are going home.</em></p><p>As the Armored Titan ran toward Eren's collapsed form, Armin and Mikasa stood on the boulder next to Eren.</p><p>Armin looked absolutely terrified, his eyes switching back and forth between the walking Colossal Titan and the charging Armored Titan.</p><p>Mikasa, meanwhile, had a look of cold fury on her face, her blades ready to go.</p><p>"You're not getting past me!" She shouted.</p><p>Armin gasped in surprise as he noticed something unusual.</p><p>Reiner eyed Mikasa dismissively as he closed the distance between himself and Eren. <em>You've got guts and skills, Mikasa, but those won't help you. Your blades won't be able to pierce my skin, so there's nothing you can-</em></p><p>His thoughts were cut off as a fist crashed into the side of his face, causing him to swerve sideways and crash to the ground.</p><p>He quickly rolled back into a crouching position and looked up to see the Female Titan glaring at him.</p><p>
  <em>You fucking bitch! You're deliberately getting in our way?! Have you truly decided to defect to their side?! Or are you just doing this as a fuck you to me?!</em>
</p><p>Armin and Mikasa's jaws fell open as the Female and Armored Titans began their second brawl that day.</p><p>"What?" Mikasa uttered in bewilderment. "That Titan...it…"</p><p>"Has breasts?" Armin added. "Er, I mean, feminine features?"</p><p>"Yes. But...more importantly...it's attacking the Armored Titan?"</p><p>Armin snapped out of his daze. "Well, it seems fortune is on our side at the moment. This gives us the chance we need to get Eren out of here."</p><p>Mikasa turned sharply toward Eren's Titan. "You're right, let's go."</p><p>With the Female Titan keeping the Armored Titan occupied, and the Colossal Titan's slow movement speed, Mikasa and Armin were able to get Eren onto the wall and well away from the outer gate.</p><p>Bertolt watched them go sadly. <em>And there goes our only hope. Damn it Annie, I get it, this whole situation is fucked, but…</em></p><p>This time the fight between Annie and Reiner was more evenly matched, and it ended when Bertolt reached the wall. A few of the Garrison soldiers had tried to go for his nape during his trek across the district, but Bertolt had easily blown them away with his steam, and their attempts quickly ceased.</p><p>With their opportunity to capture Eren gone, all the two remaining warriors could do now was flee before they were captured by the Garrison or the Scouts that had just returned.</p><p>And so after climbing up the Colossal Titan's enormous body, Reiner retrieved Bertolt, leaped over the side of Wall Rose, and began the long journey back to Wall Maria.</p><p>Reiner closed his eyes. <em>Hopefully we can deflect a lot of the blame for all this onto Annie. But...I'll take full responsibility for what's happened. They might kill me for this failure, but I won't let them kill Bertolt too.</em></p><p>Bertolt slumped against the Armored Titan's shoulder, mentally and physically exhausted from the day's ordeals.</p><p>With the battle truly over now, Annie emerged from her Titan and stepped onto a nearby roof. She turned and noticed she was being closely watched by several Scouts standing a short distance away.</p><p>Levi stepped forward. "Alright, now's the part where you explain what the hell is going on."</p><hr/><p>Author's Note: So from what's been established in canon, Annie's connection with her father was very important to her. It was what motivated her to keep going when she was on Paradis, and finding out he was dead caused her to give up, at least temporarily.</p><p>However, it was also established that for most of her childhood her father was a strict dickhead. From what we were shown I'd say he wasn't quite as bad as Grisha was raising Zeke, but he wasn't a whole lot better. And the only reason why Annie came to genuinely care for him and love him was because he'd had that breakdown right before she left for the Paradis mission, where he apologized, said he had been wrong, and that she meant the world to him, and he desperately wanted her to come back alive. And it was this moment that gave Annie something to truly care about, and made her start to really appreciate life for the first time.</p><p>But if he hadn't had that last minute epiphany, and instead kept on treating Annie like shit until the end, she wouldn't have had any strong connections or promises tying her to Marley, and making her want to go home. Therefore I think she would have been more receptive to the positive experiences and relationships she'd had during her time in training, which would in turn have made it more likely for her to go native. And that in turn opens up a lot of fascinating possibilities.</p><p>Anyways, be sure to let me know what you thought, it really is appreciated.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. The Two Mrs. Yeagers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Armored Titan rushed toward Wall Maria, pulling ahead of the Titan horde behind it. It held Annie in its left hand, and Bertolt in its right.</p><p>As it got close to the wall, it stopped and lowered its right hand to the ground, allowing Bertolt to hop off.</p><p>Reiner glanced over his shoulder anxiously. <em>There's more Titans than we expected. We need to hurry. Bertolt, we're counting on you.</em></p><p>A moment later, Bertolt had reached the gate and transformed into the Colossal Titan.</p><p>The light from the transformation was bright, and it shook the ground and air around it. The vibrations it produced were so strong that many of the residents of Shiganshina were thrown off their feet.</p><p>Armin brushed himself off and got back to his feet. "What was that?"</p><p>"I don't know." Eren said uncertainly.</p><p>Several people nearby began to move toward the town square to try to see what had happened, and a moment later Armin followed them.</p><p>"Armin, what are you doing?" Eren cried. He and Mikasa quickly took off after their friend.</p><p>The crowd of people in the square were standing still, staring in shock up at the wall, and Armin's wide eyes were gazing in the same direction.</p><p>Eren and Mikasa caught up with him before long.</p><p>"What's going on?" Eren asked. "Some kind of explosion, or…"</p><p>He gasped as his eyes fell on the same thing that everyone else's had.</p><p>A massive red hand was gripping the top of the wall.</p><p>"No." Armin murmured. "That's impossible. That wall is fifty meters high!"</p><p>"Oh god." Eren whispered. "It's a Titan!"</p><p>Bertolt peered over the wall for a short while before leaning back and kicking the gate open, showering the outer district with debris and creating an opening in the wall.</p><p>His job finished, the Colossal Titan slumped down, and Bertolt emerged from the nape.</p><p>Reiner's eyes widened. <em>He did it! Bertolt…</em></p><p>Suddenly, he was overwhelmed. So caught up by the spectacle of the Colossal Titan breaking down the wall, Reiner hadn't paid close enough attention to his surroundings, and the horde of Titans had caught up and were now trying to devour him and Annie.</p><p>Fortunately his armor protected him, and he was able to shake them off without too much difficulty.</p><p>But during the time it took him to fight them off, he noticed something horrifying.</p><p>
  <em>Oh no! A Titan is about to reach Bertolt!</em>
</p><p>He ran as fast as he could, desperately hoping he would get there in time.</p><p>But he was too far away. As Bertolt descended his dissolving Titan body, he saw the smiling Titan emerge through the steam, its nightmarish gaze fixed upon him.</p><p>"AAH!" He cried.</p><p>He looked around, trying to figure out what to do. He knew he couldn't transform again, as even one transformation took quite a toll on his body, so he needed to escape.</p><p>But before he could come up with a plan, the Titan's hand reached forward and plucked him off of the Colossal Titan's body.</p><p>"NO! LET ME GO!" Bertolt screamed.</p><p>But before he could say anything else, the Titan raised him to its mouth and bit down, severing him in half and swallowing his head and torso.</p><p>Reiner stopped running, and fell to his knees in abject horror.</p><p>
  <em>No...this can't be happening...not Bertolt too…</em>
</p><p>This proved to be a grave mistake, because it gave the horde a chance to catch up, and it immediately dogpiled him once more.</p><p>His mind clouded with grief, Reiner was too slow to react, and one of the nimbler Titans was able to reach through his defenses and snatch Annie out of his grasp.</p><p>
  <em>ANNIE! NO!</em>
</p><p>Before he could stop it, the Titan tossed Annie into its mouth, swallowing her whole.</p><p>At the sight of his last friend being eaten, and realizing that he was the only one left, Reiner lost it.</p><p>The Armored Titan screamed, its cry echoing for miles on end, and all at once it went still, as if its spirit had suddenly fled its body. It showed no reaction at all as the Titans tried in vain to bite and tear through its armor, breaking their teeth and splintering fingernails in the process.</p><p>The Titan that had eaten Bertolt stood still for a moment, grinning as it savored its meal, before slowly walking over to the ruined gate. But before it could reach it, it abruptly collapsed to the ground, and steam began to pour out of its body.</p><p>The Titan that had eaten Annie collapsed as well, and while most of the horde was still trying to eat the Armored Titan, a few switched to their compatriot, sensing that a human was about to emerge and determined to eat the Female Titan.</p><p>Most of the horde was occupied by the task of trying to eat the Armored and Female Titans, but a handful of abnormals sensed the crowd of humans inside the wall, and so ignored them, and also ignored the collapsed form of the grinning Titan, instead opting to go for the humans that had been hidden from them for so long.</p><p>As the abnormals entered the breach, the crowd of stunned Shiganshina citizens finally gave in to their fight or flight instincts, and began to flee toward the inner gate, screaming as they did so.</p><p>"We have to go." Armin whispered.</p><p>He looked at his friend in alarm. "Eren, no!"</p><p>Eren walked numbly forward, his expression horrified. "My house is over there. My mother…"</p><p>He abruptly took off running, and Mikasa soon followed behind him.</p><p>"Mikasa!" Armin cried.</p><p>He held out his hand as if to stop her, but then noticed that it was trembling. He placed his other hand over it in an attempt to calm himself down, but it didn't work.</p><p>"This...this is the end…they're inside...we...every last one of us is going to be devoured!"</p><p>Eren and Mikasa ran down some of the side streets, heading in the opposite direction of everyone else. They noticed a few people weeping next to the mangled corpses of those crushed by pieces of debris from the wall, but Eren had only one thing on his mind.</p><p>
  <em>Our house is fine, our house is fine, you'll turn the corner and it's going to be standing there in one piece, just like always!</em>
</p><p>He and Mikasa rounded the corner, and were horrified by what they saw.</p><p>Their house had been crushed by a particularly large boulder, and had all but collapsed. And trapped underneath the ruins of their home…</p><p>"MOM!" Eren screamed. "MOM!"</p><p>Carla stirred and opened her eyes, a look of surprise on her face.</p><p>Eren pointed at the other end of the beam that was pinning his mother down. "Mikasa, grab that end and hoist with everything you've got!"</p><p>Eren and Mikasa wrapped their fingers around the beam and pulled with all their strength, but their young bodies were too weak to make it budge.</p><p>Eren froze as he heard a booming noise in the distance, and as he looked over he could see several Titans wandering into the city over the rooftops, following the crowd of people.</p><p>He looked sharply at Mikasa. "Hurry up, dammit!"</p><p>"I'm trying!"</p><p>"The Titans are inside, aren't they." Carla said grimly. "Eren, just take Mikasa and run! Now!"</p><p>"I want to more than anything!" Eren yelled as he tried in vain to pull the beam. "But first I need you on your feet!"</p><p>Carla swallowed, trying to push down her fear. "Sweetie, listen to me. My legs have been crushed. Even if you could get me out of here, I can't run. There's no time."</p><p>Eren's eyes widened as he realized what she was suggesting, but quickly rejected it. "Whatever, I can carry you!"</p><p>"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE?!" Carla screamed. "ONE THING I'M ASKING YOU, ONE THING! MIKASA, MAKE HIM!"</p><p>Mikasa shook her head and continued to try to lift the beam. "...I can't."</p><p>Carla looked at them desperately. "You want all three of us to die?"</p><p>Just outside of the ruined gate, the smiling Titan's body had dissolved completely, and Dina's naked body was exposed to the world for the first time in over twelve years.</p><p>She slowly sat up, her head feeling groggy, and her eyes were quickly drawn to the massive wall in front of her.</p><p>Her eyes traveled up to the top and back down again.</p><p>
  <em>Huh. A...a wall?</em>
</p><p>The next thing she noticed was the ruined, gaping hole in the wall from where the Colossal Titan had kicked in the gate.</p><p>
  <em>And...there's a hole...in the wall?</em>
</p><p>She became aware of some kind of loud commotion behind her, and she turned around to see the Armored Titan being dogpiled by a horde of Titans.</p><p>Her eyes widened in shock. <em>What the hell?</em></p><p>As she looked at the Titans, her memories suddenly came back to her.</p><p>She remembered seeing her fellow comrades turned into Titans. She remembered seeing Grisha, promising to find him again someday, a sharp pain in her neck, and being kicked off of the wall…</p><p>She glanced back and forth between the hole in the wall and the Armored Titan, her mind racing.</p><p>
  <em>I see...this must be Wall Maria. And that hole...Marley must have started their mission to reclaim the Founding Titan. And since I've regained my human form, that can only mean that my Titan self must have eaten one of Marley's Warriors.</em>
</p><p>She froze as she remembered that Zeke had been a Warrior cadet.</p><p>
  <em>No...I couldn't have eaten Zeke...could I? No...probably not...but…</em>
</p><p>The thought of eating anyone, let alone her own son, made her nauseous, and all at once she bent over and vomited on the ground, her chest heaving.</p><p>As she finished emptying the contents of her stomach, she felt a series of nearby vibrations rumbling the air. She looked up and saw a Titan walking right past her, its movements stiff and unnatural.</p><p>She shrank back in fear. <em>Why is it ignoring me?</em></p><p>She glanced back at the horde dogpiling the Armored Titan, and the lessons she'd received about Titans came back to her.</p><p>
  <em>It must have been an abnormal. I see. All the normal Titans are over there trying to eat the Armored Titan, while the abnormals are going through the ruined wall toward the mass of humans they can sense beyond.</em>
</p><p>She got to her feet. <em>I'd better get out of here, it'll only be a matter of time before they do notice me.</em></p><p>She ran through the gaping hole in the wall and entered Shiganshina. She could see several more Titans in the distance pursuing the crowd of civilians, while the area directly next to the wall appeared deserted.</p><p>She ran up to one of the abandoned houses near the ruined outer gate, and snagged some clothes off of a clothing line.</p><p>She let out a sigh of relief. <em>That's better. Meeting the residents of the walls in my birthday suit would have been quite embarrassing, not to mention conspicuous.</em></p><p>Before Carla could reprimand her children any further, she was distracted by the sound of ODM gear.</p><p>"Hannes!" She cried. "Take the children and get them out of here!"</p><p>He smiled. "Come on Carla, that's not our only option. The Titans seem to be going down the main streets, and there aren't too many of them yet, so we still have time."</p><p>His smile faded. "Eren, Mikasa, you grab that end, I'll take this one."</p><p>Hannes, Eren, and Mikasa ignored Carla's protests, and tried to lift the beam off of her. However, despite their best efforts, it still wasn't enough.</p><p>"Oh my god! Do you need help?"</p><p>They looked up and saw Dina running toward them, a look of alarm on her face as she witnessed their predicament.</p><p>Hannes nodded. "Yeah, we sure could use some help. Alright, you and Mikasa take that end, and Eren and I will take that end."</p><p>"Alright."</p><p>After following Hannes's instructions, the four of them were finally able to lift the beam up, enabling Carla to crawl out. As soon as she was clear they let go of the beam, and she slowly got to her feet.</p><p>"Hey, you lied!" Eren shouted indignantly. "Your legs are fine!"</p><p>"I was trying to save your life!" Carla retorted.</p><p>She winced and gingerly touched her chest.</p><p>Hannes looked at her in concern. "Looks like you might have a few broken ribs though."</p><p>Mikasa looked up at Dina and said in a small voice. "Thank you."</p><p>Dina smiled warmly. "You're welcome."</p><p>"Who're you?" Hannes asked. "I don't think we've met before."</p><p>She dithered. "My name is Dina. I...I'm not sure how I got here."</p><p>She rubbed the top of her head. "My memories are rather blurry. I think my head must have been hit by one of those smaller rocks."</p><p>She wasn't entirely sure how the residents of the wall would react to an outsider, and so decided it was safest to play dumb for now.</p><p>"Hmm." Hannes frowned. "Well, we can worry about that later. We need to get to the inner gate."</p><p>With that, Hannes, Carla, Dina, Eren, and Mikasa made their way over to the inner gate, doing their best to remain on the sides streets and avoiding the main roads where the abnormal Titans were rampaging.</p><hr/><p>Night had long since fallen. Most of the Titans had gone dormant, either lying on the ground or simply standing still, resting until they were awakened by the sun's rays the following morning.</p><p>Only one Titan was still moving.</p><p>The Armored Titan was fleeing away from the wall, the human form of the Female Titan clutched in his fist. He had no idea who it was, nor did he particularly care.</p><p>While his Titan face was incapable of expressing much emotion, inside the nape tears were overflowing from his cheeks.</p><p>
  <em>Shit! Annie was right, we should have just gone back. Shit…</em>
</p><p>It had been a foolish, stupid decision to continue the mission. He'd thought he would be able to replace Marcel, but he'd been dead wrong. And as a result, Bertolt and Annie had died.</p><p>He recalled one of the last things Marcel had said, the memory like a knife to his shattered heart.</p><p>
  <em>I'm sorry Reiner...you weren't supposed to be chosen as a Warrior.</em>
</p><p>Reiner wept. <em>He was right. It should have been Porco. I'm useless and worthless. I'm sorry everyone...</em></p><p>The Armored Titan continued to trudge forward, slowly making its way back to the docks, its spirit broken with despair.</p><hr/><p>The refugees from Shiganshina were getting settled at a camp just outside of Trost.</p><p>After doing his job properly for the first time in years, Hannes went back to check on Carla, Dina, Eren, and Mikasa, who were near the edge of the camp.</p><p>He forced a smile. "Well, it looks like it was just Shiganshina that fell to the Titans. Wall Maria is still secure. I mean, losing our home isn't good, but losing Wall Maria to the Titans would have been far worse. Humanity would have really struggled to recover from such a loss."</p><p>Dina looked at him sharply. "Hmm? What do you mean?"</p><p>Hannes blinked. "Well, Wall Maria is the largest territory we have left after the rest of humanity fell to the Titans, so losing it too would have been catastrophic."</p><p>Dina bowed her head, her mind racing.</p><p>"So...the walls are the last refuge of humanity?"</p><p>Hannes raised an eyebrow. "Well, yeah. Everybody knows that."</p><p>"I see." Dina smiled weakly. "Sorry, my memories are still a bit...scrambled."</p><p>"Huh." Hannes remarked. "You remind me a lot of Grisha."</p><p>Dina froze. "What?"</p><p>"He'd somehow managed to slip outside of the wall and ended up in Titan territory, and lost his memory in the process. Luckily for him he was found by the Scouts during one of their recon missions, and was brought back inside."</p><p>Dina's eyes were wide, and her mind was racing.</p><p>
  <em>Could it be…</em>
</p><p>"You really ought to meet him." Hannes said. "I'm sure he'd be happy to help, since he also knows what it's like to lose memories."</p><p>She slowly nodded. "Thank you."</p><p>Hannes began to walk away. "Well, I'd better check back in with the other soldiers. Take care."</p><p>After he left, Dina looked over and saw that Eren and Mikasa were sitting on a log a short distance away, talking quietly.</p><p>Noticing Carla's curious gaze on her, Dina tried to steer things away from herself.</p><p>"So, those are your kids?"</p><p>"Yeah." Carla's gaze softened. "Eren and Mikasa. Eren's my biological son, and we took Mikasa in about a year ago after her parents died. Eren can be quite the handful sometimes, but at least he has Mikasa looking out for him."</p><p>"I see. So you're married?"</p><p>Carla nodded. "Yes. Grisha is my husband."</p><p>Dina stiffened.</p><p>
  <em>No way...did Grisha...wait a minute…</em>
</p><p>Trying to keep her voice steady, Dina asked. "When did you meet Grisha?"</p><p>"Oh, about thirteen years ago. We've been married for about ten years now."</p><p>While she managed to keep her face calm, inside her thoughts were suddenly frantic.</p><p>
  <em>Thirteen years?! I was a Titan for at least thirteen years?!</em>
</p><p>Oblivious to Dina's troubled thoughts, Carla continued. "He had some business in the interior for the next few days, but after the Titan attack I'm sure he'll probably cut it short. He's probably worried sick about us."</p><p>Still struggling with the shocking revelation that thirteen years had passed her by while the rest of the world moved on, Dina was unsure of what to say.</p><p>So she said simply. "He sounds like a kind man."</p><p>"Yes." Carla smiled. "He's a doctor, so he does his best to help people."</p><p>The two Mrs. Yeagers talked some more, and Dina was slowly able to piece together what must have happened.</p><p>"Dad!"</p><p>They were distracted by Eren's cry, and looked over to see Grisha approaching the camp.</p><p>His eyes lit up. "Eren! Mikasa! Carla!"</p><p>Dina's eyes widened. <em>It's him. It's really him…</em></p><p>He looked a bit older, his hair was different, and he was now wearing spectacles, but she could still recognize him as the love of her life.</p><p>Grisha knelt down and hugged Eren and Mikasa when they ran over to him.</p><p>Tears of relief spilled onto his face. "I'm so glad you're safe."</p><p>Carla ran over to him. "Darling."</p><p>"Carla."</p><p>He stood up and kissed her.</p><p>Dina flinched. She knew it was coming, and she had to admit that if their positions had been reversed she probably would have found someone else too. Even so…</p><p>Grisha looked at his wife in concern. "Has Wall Maria fallen?"</p><p>Carla shook her head. "No, it was just Shiganshina. I'm afraid our house was destroyed."</p><p>Grisha nodded sadly. "Houses can be rebuilt."</p><p>He looked over, and instantly froze when he spotted Dina.</p><p>She walked forward, trying to keep her face expressionless.</p><p>"Hello Grisha."</p><p>"Dina?" He whispered. "I...I thought you were…"</p><p>"Dead? I was." Dina walked right up to him. "But I'm here now. I...I missed you."</p><p>Carla looked back and forth between them uncertainly. "What is…"</p><p>Dina reached up and gently touched Grisha's cheek.</p><p>The second her hand made contact with his face, a spark jumped between them, and suddenly Grisha, Dina, Carla, Eren, and Mikasa were flung into the paths.</p><p>Carla looked around in bewilderment. "What?"</p><p>"What the hell?!" Eren yelled.</p><p>Mikasa shrank into Eren's side, unsure of what else to do.</p><p>Dina looked around, comprehension dawning on her. "This place…"</p><p>"It must be the Paths." Grisha concluded.</p><p>He looked at her. "Dina...do you have the power of a Titan?"</p><p>Dina looked down at her hands. "Yes...I guess I do."</p><p>Carla looked at them suspiciously. "What is going on? Do you two know each other?"</p><p>Grisha laughed nervously. "Er, yes, we do. It's a bit of a long story…"</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>Hello.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>All of them turned around, and saw a little girl standing a short distance away.</p><p>Mikasa fiddled with her scarf anxiously. "Who...who are you?"</p><p><em><strong>My name is Ymir</strong></em>.</p><p>It was eerie, because while the voice was clearly coming from the young girl, her lips hadn't moved.</p><p>Grisha gasped. "The Founder."</p><p>Carla looked at him sharply. "You know her too?"</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>Your husband has been keeping a lot of secrets from you. Big secrets. Of course, he kept them from you partly for your protection. After all, they're secrets the royal government wants forgotten at all costs, and anyone who knows them is in danger.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Eren looked up at his dad excitedly. "What secrets? Is it that stuff you told me about that's in the basement?"</p><p>Grisha nodded slowly. "Yes."</p><p>Ymir stepped forward.</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>Let me tell you why the five of you are here. You are here because I have traveled back through the streams of time. I did this because...I wanted to give you another chance at a happy ending.</strong>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>Author's Note: Originally there was going to be more, but a lot of it consisted of Ymir explaining to Carla, Eren, and Mikasa what was going on, and I realized that it was boring as shit because it was all stuff that you already know. And I wasn't super happy with the rest of it either, so I thought, you know what, fuck it, let's just leave it open ended, they can use their imaginations.</p><p>This story was inspired by some of the suggestions asking how things might have played out if Dina had eaten one of the Warriors. At first I wasn't too interested in the idea, as I wasn't really sure if there was a whole lot of potential with that idea, but then this scenario came to me and I had to write it.</p><p>With how OP the Founding Titan is, and with Ymir helping them directly, and probably removing the curse, the safety of Paradis is all but guaranteed at this point, and the various characters have a much better chance at a happy ending. Well, except for Reiner, he's screwed.</p><p>As for how Grisha, Carla, and Dina would come to terms with things, personally I'm inclined to believe that Grisha would either try for some sort of menage a trois arrangement in order to try to be faithful to both his wives and keep both of them happy, or he would stay with Carla and he and Dina would reluctantly part ways. Of course, we really don't know a whole lot about Carla or Dina, so it's hard to know how either of them would respond to this situation. And I'm not convinced that I'm a good enough writer to be able to do it justice, so I decided not to go there.</p><p>Anyways, be sure to let me know what you thought. If anything seems off or weird, then it's probably because I'm still feeling kind of lightheaded and loopy from the second covid shot I got this weekend. I didn't want to wait any longer to post, though, so I just decided to go ahead. I hope I don't regret this later. Stay safe out there.</p>
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